In the coming weeks, homeowners throughout the 21st Assembly district should keep an eye on their mail as important details about how to apply for the property tax relief Rebate-NY plan will be arriving.

Specifically, the New York State's Department of Taxation and Finance recently announced that they have begun mailing information packets that explain how to sign up for this important program I worked to enact this year.

Homeowners know quite well the outrageous tax bills they have to grapple with year in and year out. For many who are on fixed incomes, the current system is crushing and unfair. Working families struggle on an ongoing basis to make ends meet. Fundamental change has to happen with our tax system.

Recently, county executives in Nassau and Suffolk Counties have teamed together in an effort to promote a shared fund balance services plan to help lower purchasing costs and maximize interest of fund balances in municipalities, schools, townships and villages. This plan is one that I not only support, but one which I called Suffolk County's executive to express my desire to co-sponsor in the State Legislature. It will save taxpayers millions of dollars.

Today, the Rebate-NY program returns property tax relief funds directly to the homeowner. Quite frankly that's where the money should go to in the first place, after all, it's your money. Understanding that more needed to be done this year I successfully fought to include an additional $1.3 billion in relief in the 2007-2008 budget. Simply stated, homeowners should expect to receive close to double what they received last year and this amount will increase over the next two years.

The following provides a breakdown of what residents in the following school district can expect to receive if they have a household income under $120,000 a year:

Elmont School District	$600
Franklin Square School District	$546
West Hempstead School District	$654
Floral Park School District	$506
Valley Stream 13 School District	$660
Malverne School District	$721

Please note it is very important to carefully review the information you receive in the mail. It is required that you fill out an application that includes a special "STAR code" identifying specific properties you own. The deadline to submit applications is Nov. 30.

As always, if residents have any specific questions or concerns on this program, feel free to contact my office at 437-5577 or email me at alfanot@assembly.state.ny.us. You can also visit the New York State Department of Taxation website at www.nystax.gov.

Assemblyman Tom Alfano