Oneida County is taking a gamble that an accounting change could enable it to stay beneath the state’s new cap on property tax increases.
The budget Picente proposed Wednesday morning stays within the 2 percent tax cap, according to Picente’s calculations.
That’s because he wants to bill property tax payers for the county’s share of the Mohawk Valley Community College budget on a different line than the rest of the cost. . . .
If Picente’s plan goes through, residents will pay a share of the cost of the college funding based on how many MVCC students live in their home municipality.So let's see how this will work . . . Utica has the main MVCC campus. Rome has a secondary MVCC campus. Both cities are the places where students are most likely to take up residence because (1) the campuses are there and (2) both cities contain most of the region's affordable housing. The residents of both host cities already pay increased police costs because students behave like ... students.
This is like the bad old days when Oneida County billed Aid for Dependent Children to City residents because the City was the only place in the region where the poor could afford (or were allowed) to live. It was the poor being forced to support the poor.
Mr. Picente's proposal continues the terrible Oneida County record of sticking County costs on to city residents and taxpayers, especially those in Utica. Any wonder why our cities are in decline?
Maybe the occupation of Liberty Bell Corner on 10/13 should be moved to 600 Park Ave instead?
If Mr. Picente wants to get Counties from outside Oneida to kick in for their students, that's fine. But if our County leaders want to support the costs of educating MVCC students, they should pass those on to ALL Oneida County taxpayers, not shift them on to individual municipalities without the approval of the voters of each municipality.
10 comments:
If the 2% tax limit is a problem ,lets see the gutless county legislators vote to override it. Anybody think they will do it? Not a single vote I would guess. Let's just use the same kinds of gimmicks that NYS has used for so long to finance this nearly bankrupt state.
Potocki's candidacy is looking better & better. Problem is he needs to find a better way to get his message out to the voters. The OD ignores him & puts his news releases on the back page like they did the other day. Of course Potocki, unlike Picente isn't a bona fide memeber of the good 'ol boys club that have helped to run this county into the ground while enriching themselves at everyone else's expense.
During the application process at NYS community colleges, students are required to present a proof of residency form proving where they're from - not their current address. This shouldn't adversely affect Utica because students would ostensibly move to the city after applying.
Many students leave home and become emancipated. Those will become local residents.
If the County determines to subsidize students, the County needs to take on the responsibility itself and not pass the cost on to municipal taxpayers.. Who is the rural dominated legislature to dictate that each municipality needs to take on this cost?
That's not how it works. Call MVCC or HCCC and ask them. Your residency is set for billing purposes before you start as a student and it doesn't change.
Unless you're suggesting a large chunk of the student body moves to Utica long in advance of enrollment, I'm not sure how your scenario comes to fruition.
(PS - it's ok to admit it when you're wrong)
Also, it's not rocket science to figure out that most students at a county's community college come from the cities. The suburban families can afford to send their kids away to school. Community Colleges are mostly occupied by urban kids and older students that, again, likely live within the city limits. That's not hard to figure out. Of course there's some exceptions, so save those stories. The majority live in Utica and Rome.
This is a clear shot at the cities. And the media is covering Picente's butt again. Typical.
There are several excellent comments here. The most troubling aspect of Picente's budget is that his lack of political courage is once again on display. The new MVCC taxc plan is just a way of avoiding exceeding the 2%. In other words an election year ploy which assumes the voter is too dumb to realize it. And, it does offer penalty to the poorest of areas in the county, Utica. But, why is one surprised considering county government is controlled by Romans? Why Utica keeps voting them in is the key question?
I was just listening to the CE on the Radio. He is not happy with NYS setting Medicaid benefits and then passing the cost down to the Counties. But is he not guilty of the same practice, if his plan to pass the cost of Oneida County MVCC students to their home municipalities goes through? The rural/suburban dominated county will determine the level of benefits, but the residents of the cities get hit for the cost.
This is why local government needs to be restructured. If the county wants to relieve itself of the cost of running the college by passing it on to municipal residents, then break MVCC into a City of Utica CC and City of Rome CC. That way the people of each community will have the power to determine the level of benefits they will have to pay for.
One has to wonder why Roefaro, who is still in office & Cerminaro, Sanita, & Palmieri who want the Mayor's job are being silent on Picente's plan to stick it to Utica taxpayers. It's a damn shame that city leaders & wannabes don't have the backbone to stand up for the citizens of this city. It's pathetic. All Utica voters should ban together & vote Picente out. As for the others, draw your own conclusions.
Time for Picente to go.
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