STAR property tax rebate checks could soon double or even triple if a proposal by Long Island?s Republican senators is approved.

Long Island's eight Republican senators have written Gov. Eliot Spitzer proposing the increases. New York State?s School Tax Relief (STAR) rebates give Long Island homeowners money back depending on local tax rates and household income.

The GOP proposal also calls for lifting the ban on checks going to households earning more than $250,000.

Oakdale resident Dawn DeGirolamo says more money back would mean more money to save and more for her kids? college educations. Other residents agree it would be a big help.

Some say the proposal begs the question of how to pay for the increased rebates. Boosting STAR property tax rebates would cost $3 billion, while the state is facing a budget deficit of more than $4 billion.

"We?ve got to look at our budget, see where we can cut, where we can save, economize," State Sen. Carl Marcellino (R-Oyster Bay) says.

Gov. Spitzer's office told News 12 Long Island that record increases in property tax relief and school aid went into effect last year. This year, the governor's budget will be guided by the same priorities, the office says.

Related Information: New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Office of Real Property Services Tax Reductions for Individual Property Owners