A Western New York State Senator has drafted legislation he hopes will encourage school districts across the state to invest in security upgrades.

“This would exempt security costs from the property tax cap,” said New York State Senator George Maziarz.

The Newfane Republican, who represents Niagara Falls and Niagara County as well as Orleans County and western Monroe County, told YNN Buffalo’s Sara Serafin Tuesday that he’s sponsoring a bill that would exempt the money schools spend on security from being calculated in the state’s two-percent property tax cap.

“Obviously with the tragedy we saw with the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut I think it’s important that school districts be encouraged to invest in security measures.  There’s nothing more important than protecting children,” Maziarz said.

The cap was signed into law in 2011 to limit the level of rising property taxes in Upstate New York.  But property taxes are also a main source of revenue for districts, so the cap can limit an important revenue stream.  Maziarz says there are some expenses that are exempt to the cap like employee pension and health insurance costs.  He hopes security costs will be added to that list.

“Hopefully encouraging districts to invest in things like school resource officers and other security measures like door locks and cameras and so forth,” said Maziarz.

The bill was sent to the Senate’s Education Committee.  Maziarz expects it to clear committee sometime in March and be passed by the full Senate in April.

“Everyone wants to make sure that the children that are in school are in a safe atmosphere, and I don’t think there will be any opposition to that,” Maziarz added.

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