Cuomo accused of underpaying property taxes

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, author of New York state”™s property tax cap, is finding his own property taxes a talking point during his run for re-election this year. The governor”™s challenger, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, is accusing the incumbent of not paying his fair share of taxes.

Cuomo, a Democrat seeking a second term, lives in New Castle in a home owned by his girlfriend, Food Network star Sandra Lee. A series of Gannett articles outlined that there had been renovations done to the six-bedroom, $1.2 million home without proper permits. The New Castle assessor was barred from inspecting the renovations, some of which Lee discussed in a national magazine profile, Gannett said.

The assessor is now estimating a 29 percent increase in the property tax bill for the home, which was slightly more than $28,000 per year, according to Gannett. The governor has been characteristically tight-lipped about addressing the accusations, saying the renovations had been minor and later telling the publication he felt the issue was politically motivated. According to the assessor”™s new tax estimates, Cuomo and Lee have been undercharged on their property taxes by as much as $8,000.

Astorino spokeswoman Jessica Proud said in a statement, “We are directly suggesting that Andrew Cuomo hid renovations to his home in order to evade the higher property taxes he would have to pay if those renovations had been properly permitted as is required of other citizens.” Proud also said the governor continues to bar the assessor from the home to hide the extent of the renovations.

“The governor of New York has to pay his fair share of property taxes, just like everyone else in this state,” Proud said. “And the only way we”™re going to know what that fair share is is for Governor Cuomo to open his doors. What”™s he hiding?”

One of Cuomo”™s marquee measures upon coming into office was instituting a property tax cap, which limits the amount local governments, school districts and other taxing entities can increase their tax levies each year. The limit is determined by a complex formula, hovering around 2 percent.