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It seemed like such a good idea...
Remember back in November when the City Council unanimously voted to approve a 0% tax increase?
I sure do, and so do, it was clear today, to the members of the council.
With the city now facing the prospect of millions in cuts and reductions in services that many residents have long considered right rather than privilege, council members are doing everything they can to distance themselves from that vote.
Of course, it's easy for me to say, because I don't pay property taxes in the city (or anywhere else), but a 2-3% increase in property taxes would most definitely taken the sting out of the current budget hole.
At the time, voting for a 0% tax increase seemed like a great idea, especially leading into an election year AND in the midst of a terrible economic downturn (which continues), but in doing so, the council may well have dug its own grave.
The council can hem and haw about how they thought budgeting or not budgeting VLT money would look to Albany, but the fact of the matter is that they have to have known that putting even a portion of that money in the budget was a risky move.
Now, this council is paying the price in the form of painful budget cuts.
It's hard to imagine any member of this council getting re-elected if personnel cuts are anywhere near as deep as Commissioner of Public Safety Ron Kim suggested today that they could be.
In the next month or so, we'll have to see if this council can pull a rabbit out of its collective hat.
--
On a somewhat lighter note, my colleague next-cubicle neighbor, Mareesa Nicosia, has just launched a new blog, which will deal with topics of business in Saratoga Springs. Check out In The Biz here.
I sure do, and so do, it was clear today, to the members of the council.
With the city now facing the prospect of millions in cuts and reductions in services that many residents have long considered right rather than privilege, council members are doing everything they can to distance themselves from that vote.
Of course, it's easy for me to say, because I don't pay property taxes in the city (or anywhere else), but a 2-3% increase in property taxes would most definitely taken the sting out of the current budget hole.
At the time, voting for a 0% tax increase seemed like a great idea, especially leading into an election year AND in the midst of a terrible economic downturn (which continues), but in doing so, the council may well have dug its own grave.
The council can hem and haw about how they thought budgeting or not budgeting VLT money would look to Albany, but the fact of the matter is that they have to have known that putting even a portion of that money in the budget was a risky move.
Now, this council is paying the price in the form of painful budget cuts.
It's hard to imagine any member of this council getting re-elected if personnel cuts are anywhere near as deep as Commissioner of Public Safety Ron Kim suggested today that they could be.
In the next month or so, we'll have to see if this council can pull a rabbit out of its collective hat.
--
On a somewhat lighter note, my colleague next-cubicle neighbor, Mareesa Nicosia, has just launched a new blog, which will deal with topics of business in Saratoga Springs. Check out In The Biz here.
posted by The Saratogian City Desk at
9:37 PM
10 Comments:
"...because I don't pay property taxes in the city (or anywhere else)...."
If you pay rent - I am sure that your landlord has incorporated his realo estate/school taxes into your rent stucture. So, in a sense, you are paying taxes. In certain cases, tenant can fill out a NYS 214 tax form and get some of those taxes back.
That's a pretty weak platform while campaigning to get re elected when other decisions you will make cost lives. Getting rid of police and fire men and women is irresponsible and dangerous.
Gerard your man KIM VOTED FOR THE 0 TAX INCREASE ARE YOU GOING TO SUPPORT HIM AND THE OTHERS? He put us in this situation,now it's somebody else's fault.Kim's toast!
Anon. 11:40 raises an interesting point...I never thought of the fact that in a sense I probably AM paying taxes via my rent. Hmm.
poor decision. i know it was politically motivated, but irresponsible, especially while pushing the rec center. the guy should've had some guts and had a mild tax increase, followed by another one next year, as opposed to slamming us in one year. and of course, i'm not sure why everyone is looking around for ways to cut spending, when the 1000 lb gorilla in the room is building a rec center .
and while certain people voted for the budget, it was obvious from the council meetings that they thought it was a bad idea. it was ken ivins that got up and said he didn't care about the cuts in services etc, and told the other council members that he was the budget guy and that's what he was going to do. with johnson and frank backing him up, there wasn't much to fight about after that.
I will back only candidates that back affordable housing. Otherwise I don't care!
Damn straight you are. And if you've been renting in the city for more than five years, you'll see the difference in your paycheck.
Want to know another body of people who "don't pay property taxes" but get banged by rent? Look no further than the businesses on Broadway. Almost all of them rent. And a good number of them went out of business thanks to booming increases in property assessment from the mid-90s, then rents skyrocketed until Franck froze the assessments(I want to say in 2005?).
Allegedly, a lot of the new buildings on Broadway were granted PILOT agreements and were thus protected their tenants from the increase in value that many of the older buildings witnessed. I've never been able to verify or quantify this, but it's real suspicious how many of the old buildings have vacancies and the new ones just don't. Food for though, eh?
the rents are outrageous on bway. you'd think a land lord would want to get an established business there as opposed to pricing them out.
and i wonder if our venerable hot dog guy will set up shop in the rent free zone like last year.
Am I mistaken or is the city building a public beach on Saratoga Lake with a max occupancy of 75 people at a cost of 3.5 million? Apparently the project, like the rec center, has already been bonded. But if we cancel the project, we only pay a 5% penalty and we eliminate our budget deficit..... anyone?
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