Unshackle Upstate Calls on the Senate to Amend Wicks Law to Provide Upstate School Districts Parity

ALBANY, NY (08/05/2009)(readMedia)-- Unshackle Upstate has called on upstate senators to extend to the rest of the state's school districts the same exemption from the Wicks Law currently provided to New York City's schools when it returns to session Thursday, Aug. 6.

While the Senate will likely pass legislation that allows New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to retain authority over city schools, Unshackle Upstate wants lawmakers to also consider a special amendment pertaining to the double standard in the Wicks Law.

The Wicks Law is a construction mandate dating back to 1912. It was put into place to promote competition and protect workers' rights. The law requires state and local government construction projects to have separate plumbing, heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) and electrical contracts. This requirement is one of the most onerous mandates facing local governments.

Since 1988 New York City schools have been exempt from the law. Upstate school districts do not have the same exemption, which results in higher construction costs and, therefore, higher taxes. The proposed amendment would extend to the rest of the state's school districts the same level of exemption currently offered to New York City.

In 2008 the legislature and the governor announced a self-proclaimed historic deal on higher Wicks thresholds. The Wicks thresholds were raised to $3 million in New York City, $1.5 million in Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties and $500,000 in all other parts of the state. The reality is that these changes had very little effect on upstate school districts. It is time for upstate legislators to deliver some relief for upstate school district and, by extension, taxpayers.

"We are one state: New York. The rules of the game should be the same for everyone," said Brian Sampson, executive director of Unshackle Upstate, a coalition of 45,000 employers with 1.5 million employees. "Upstate school construction projects should not be subject to onerous rules while New York City gets a free pass. We are asking that upstate legislators don't vote for a provision that will provide no tangible benefit to the people of upstate. We ask that they take advantage of the rules reforms and use this opportunity to reduce school construction costs for upstate as well as New York City."

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