"As a member of the Budget Conference Committee on Education, I was a part of the negotiations that ensured Long Island property taxpayers and school districts get their fair share of state funds in the 2007-2008 State Budget. We were able to increase the amount of education funds and raise the minimum STAR income threshold from $80,000 to $120,000.

"The governor's initial budget proposal would have short-changed Long Island school districts and not provided direct property tax relief to homeowners. However, my legislative colleagues and I managed to negotiate additional funding for Long Island schools as part of the $1.75 billion increase in school funding and restored property tax relief in the form of rebate checks.

"For the past few years, Long Island school districts have been short-changed in their share of state education funding. This deficiency has forced local government to pass the cost of fully funding education on to local property owners and taxpayers. The 2007-2008 Executive Budget would have only increased educational funding for the 16 schools in the 15th Assembly District by an average of 5.06 percent. Through tough negotiations, this past week the Long Island Republican delegation was able to secure an average increase of 18.67 percent. As a whole, Nassau County schools will now receive $50 million more than the governor's initial education fund proposal. These funds will go a long way to easing our overburdened property taxpayers.

"Increased education funding, in the form of high tax aid, will add the following amount to school districts in the 15th A.D.:

• Glen Cove

• East Meadow	$1,161,529
• Hicksville	$793,452
	$422,576
• Jericho		$479,577
• Locust Valley	$335,380
• North Shore	$424,343
• Oyster Bay		$244,796
• Syosset		$996,565
• Westbury		$581,501

"In addition, the governor's proposal set the maximum income level to receive additional STAR benefits at $80,000, a level far too low to be beneficial to Long Island homeowners. According to recent information released by the Long Island Index, the average household income for a two-income household is nearly $90,000. Negotiations this week have raised the maximum income threshold to $120,000, which is more reflective of the income levels of Long Island homeowners and will enable more residents to qualify for the maximum STAR benefits.

"The only way to reverse the trend of residents flocking to other states with more affordable living costs is by placing money directly in homeowners' pockets in the form of rebate checks. That is why the Long Island Republican delegation worked so hard this past week to restore the property tax rebate check program."