DEWITT, N.Y. -- Green Party gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins said today that Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposal to ease New York's high property taxes misses the mark.

"A better way to cut property taxes would be for the state to pay for its mandates and let us, through our local governments, decide how much to cut property taxes and how much to fund our schools and services," Hawkins said in a statement released a couple of hours before Cuomo is scheduled to plug his property tax freeze plan in DeWitt.

Under the governor's plan, property taxpayers would get a credit from the state for slight increases on tax bills for the next two years. Those credits would only come, however, if local governments also keep local tax levies capped at 2 percent increases and work toward consolidating services.

Hawkins, of Syracuse, says that one-size-fits-all approach won't help individual local governments cut their costs. "Each local government has its own unique needs and fiscal circumstances," Hawkins wrote. "Cuomo doesn't trust us to make our own decisions about our municipal and school budgets and property tax levies."

Cuomo is scheduled to speak in DeWitt at 1:30 p.m. Joining him are Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney, Onondaga County Legislator Danny Liedka of East Syracuse, DeWitt Town Supervisor Ed Michalenko and Chris Haywood, of Manlius.

Contact Teri Weaver at tweaver@syracuse.com, 315-470-2274 or on Twitter at @TeriKWeaver.