Center Moriches Taxpayers Community Discussion Forum

MURRAY CO-SPONSORS COST SAVINGS, EDUCATION REFORM LEGISLATION
Assembly passes Murray’s 55/25 Early retirement incentive for teachers 131-5

Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C-East Patchogue) announced today that the Assembly overwhelmingly approved legislation he co-sponsored allowing school teachers to retire at the age of 55 with at least 25 year of service (A.10065A). Murray said the “55/25” legislation, which passed in the Assembly by a vote of 131-5, will save taxpayer money by allowing the highest-paid educators to retire earlier.
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“Education spending is the biggest driver of local property taxes here in Suffolk County,” said Murray, who unveiled his education reform plan last month. “An early retirement incentive for highly-paid teachers is a tool New York can utilize in order to trim down education costs across the state. Parents, taxpayers, and educators alike are being forced to decide between the horrible choices of cuts to programs, layoffs, or staggering tax increases to pay for the increasing cost of our schools. We need a better plan, which I believe this is.”

Assemblyman Dean Murray, a co-sponsor of the legislation, pointed out that both immediate and long-term savings can be realized with the incentive. Schools can immediately save money by eliminating their highest salaries and holding off on filling vacated positions where possible. Even if schools must fill vacated positions with new teachers, long-term savings can be made through lower salaries and reduced pension costs. These new teachers would be part of the Tier V retirement plan which increases the years needed to be fully vested, limits the use of overtime in retirement benefit calculations, raises the age of retirement and requires employees to contribute to their retirement for the entirety of their service.

The 55/25 early retirement incentive is an important part of Murray’s four point Education Reform Plan. His plan calls for reforming our public education system to reduce the local tax burden and maintain a quality education for the state’s children. Murray’s plan also calls

for an across-the-board pay freeze, a school property tax cap and mandate relief.