President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, April 9, 2019. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

Two Democratic lawmakers in New York state proposed legislation that could take a financial bite out of private golf clubs, including Trump National Golf Club Westchester in Briarcliff Manor. The legislation would allow local assessment of golf courses based on the "highest and best use rather than its current use." It comes as the 140-acre club in Briarcliff — a property President Donald Trump bought in the 1990s — faces an ongoing legal dispute on property taxes dating back to 2015. New York Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, D-Ossining, is the author of the legislation, Assembly bill A6444. Sen. David Carlucci, D-Rockland/Westchester, is the key sponsor of the state Senate version, S4420. A rally was held Sunday outside Trump National's Briarcliff golf club where about 45 supporters gathered. Some held up signs, including one that read "Pay Your Taxes Trump" and another, "Play Fairways, Pay Fair Taxes." "Right now, unfortunately, we have a few golf courses that are taking advantage of a loophole in New York state law that allows for golf courses to be assessed as if they were a municipal course," Carlucci told CNBC. He said the current assessment "doesn't take into consideration other factors, like a beautiful club house on the property, etc." Carlucci called Trump National's Briarcliff golf club "one of the most egregious cases" he's seen of private courses filing questionable tax grievances with towns. He said these grievances go back many years and have the potential to cost communities "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in tax revenues, including money needed for schools.

Donald Trump and former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (right) chat as Judith Giuliani (2nd left) has a peek at the first sign of Melania Trump's baby while at the Trump National Golf Course in Westchester. They hosted a golf outing to raise money for people in need of emergency care as part of the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. David Handschuh | New York Daily News | Getty Images

As a presidential candidate, Trump listed in a financial disclosure that the 18-hole Briarcliff golf club was worth about $50 million in 2016. But when it came time to pay property taxes, his business team claimed the property was worth only $1.5 million in 2016. It also was widely reported in 2015 that the golf club sought to slash its property tax assessment by 90%, from $471,000 to about $47,000. During testimony in February before the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, questioned Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen about the president's golf clubs and taxes. She asked him about the case of Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida, reportedly lowering its value to get local authorities to reduce the tax burden.