For days now the two sides in the title of this post have been waging a war in my brain.

When Mayor Scott Johnson first announced he was going to build a... parking structure on Woodlawn Avenue he continuously used the term "Parking deck" and seemed to be avoiding the alternative "parking garage" (I seem to remember him correcting me once when I referred to it as a parking garage, but that may be a dream-- I've been dwelling on this).

Googling it didn't much help. Some websites said the two terms were synonymous. Others said it was a regional difference — the Southeast uses the term deck, the Midwest uses "Parking ramp" (which just seems foolish) etc.

I put the question to people in my office, working out the key piece of each term Deck vs. Garage.

Deck seems to imply a more open space, a single story and is generally less imposing. "Deck just sounds prettier," said Business and Education Reporter Suzanna Lourie, something I agree with. It seems like Saratoga Springs to have parking decks, not garages (at least in its own mind).

On the other hand, both she and Assistant Managing Editor Betsy DeMars said a garage is more enclosed with full walls. DeMars also said she thinks of a parking garage as having a basement level. I don't necessarily think that, but I do think multiple levels.

Then both of them told me I was being too nit-picky and splitting hairs and while they didn't necessarily tell me to go away, I got the hint.

But it seems our thoughts weren't entirely off-base.

"My opinion, of a parking garage is considered a "building" is somewhat enclosed, usually multiple levels and has a more intricate design, detail and structure and is governed strictly under the building code of NYS," said Wayne Williams, an engineer for U.T. Marx Construction which has built numerous parking garages in the area (I don't know if anyone cares to know which ones, but here they are anyway).

"To me," he continued, "the term parking deck on the other hand refers to a more liberal design typically not enclosed on any sides and typically only one
level."

And then he voiced the issue that sent me down this path. "Of course as always semantics comes in to play, along with agenda."

That hits the nail on the head. The reason it has held me up for days is because A) I expect to write about it semi-frequently and want to be consistent with my terminology, but more importantly B) It's a slippery slope to let politicians and other newsmakers frame the conversation about anything, even when it is as innocuous as Parking deck Vs. Garage.

Then what's next? Torture becomes enhanced interrogation, rebels become insurgents, layoffs become extended vacations?

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, but it all starts somewhere.

But I guess in this case, Johnson has been right all along and I will start referring to it — accurately — as a parking deck. That is, until the next level is added on top-- then it will become a parking garage.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Finance Commissioner Kenneth Ivins will debut the city’s 2012 comprehensive budget at the City Council meeting tonight. Ahead of that, Ivins released some of the preliminary details of the budget—including the proposed tax increase of .54 percent at a kind of Preview Presser (You read that term here first folks).
“It’s essentially one-half of 1 percent property tax increase and my goal is by the end of November we can get the number even lower,” Ivins said, explaining as the year comes to a close, more solid numbers for revenues in the city will come in. “The further you get into the year the better numbers you get for preparing a budget.”
He also distributed a sheet showing the dollar-amount tax increase for homes valued at $200,000, 300,000 and $400,000 (see below, and please excuse the foolish dashes, Blogger isn't cooperating with me).

Home Value===== 2011=====2011==== Increase
$200,000--------$1,212.80----$1,221.41----$8.61
$300,000--------$1,819.20----$1,832.12----$12.92
$400,000--------$2,425.60----$2,442.82----$17.22


Last year’s budget passed with a 4.45 percent tax increase, more than eight times the 20112 proposal.
Ivins attributed the change to better-than-expected sales tax revenues, Video Lottery Terminal funds coming into the city which had been absent for years and health insurance costs which increased, but not by as much as previous years.
One thing that is not driving up the cost was Ivins’ decision not to include the position of reservation coordinator in the budget—a position requested by Public Works Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco that created debate and a split vote at the Sept. 20 city council meeting. (the comments in the story are not so split)
"I voted for creating the position," Ivins said. "I've voted to create a number of positions over the years I don't necessarily fund. I felt this was not the right time to fund that position," though he did not rule it out in the future.
Michele Madigan was also on-hand for Ivins' brief press conference. She asked him about the sale of the Lillians' lot on Broadway to contractor Sonny Bonacio and whether the money would be in the budget again. (It was in both 2010 and 2011, though not used).
Ivins said it would be as part of the Woodlawn Avenue parking garage-- since the revenue from the sale is being used for that project.
Madigan, too, said she was pleased to see the "pretty low rate. But I think we could do 0 percent, but I wouldn't want to see that at the cost of any layoffs."
Check in on The Saratogian for full coverage of tonight's presentation on the budget and further in-depth coverage in the days to come (We can't do it all tonight -- damn deadlines).