Oneida County still has one of the highest sales tax rates in the state at 8.75 percent. On Wednesday . . . David Gordon, D-New Hartford — wants to push to reduce it. . .
But Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, as well as the Board’s Democratic and Republican leaders and Gordon’s November election opponent all disagree. A 0.25 percentage point reduction would cut $7.6 million from the budget. . . .
. . . planned uses of the surplus include paying off some of the postponed pension costs, upping a fund for economic development and replenishing reserves . . .Well if not "at this time" then when?
Democratic Minority Leader Frank Tallarino of Rome said he doesn’t support reducing the sales tax at this time.
Picente said . . . .“Let’s see where we go in the next few years, as Marcy and a few other things come into line,” he said, referring to the nanotechnology center now under construction at SUNYIT.There is always some excuse. . . . If the nanotechnology center does go, then that will be come a convenient excuse to spend even more money: just another Griffiss "International" Airport money pit.
Let's get serious about "economic development." Mr. Picente and the leaders of both parties want to shift money out of your wallet into government sponsored economic development. Meanwhile, mom-and-pop businesses all around the region -- like the aquarium business mentioned in the OD article -- are dying, the high sales tax being an additional stress on small retailers, restaurateurs, and others.
It's time to start doing more with less. Make the climate right for private enterprise by taxing and spending less. We'll be better off in the long run.
12 comments:
The response of both Republican and Democrat leaders is both false and misleading. What they nor the OD failed to mention is that there has been a county busget surplus for the past six budgets. That means that we have been overtaxed for the past six budget years. They also fail to mention that in each of those years, our property taxes have gone up, not down. The bottom line is that they tax too much and then spend the amounts they have over taxed. Particularly galling are the Republicans who do not realize that lowering taxes may actually increase revenues. People tend to spend more with more money in their pockets.
The truth is that we really do not have Democrats and Republicans in our county government; we have two parties devoted to keeping power, granting favors and spending more money while they collect lavish pensions and dole out jobs and favors.
I wish the lonely voice of Gordon well. He should make one basic fact sheet of taxes and go door to door with it. He would win.
Oneida county elected representatives are led by the ring in their political noses by their party leaders. The sales tax is already the second highest in New York State and the Republicrats like it that way! My goodness what ever happened to the so called “Oneida Nation” landmark agreement that was supposed to produce a $15Million revenue windfall? Holy! $15Million vanished into the Oneida County tax toilet before it ever arrived! And the silence of our elected local and state representatives is deafening. It’s as if they are now afraid to admit that over taxation stifles economic development.
We'll just add more names to the huge list of people who have already moved away or are hoping to get out of here. These taxes and the politicians that waste our hard earned money continue to hurt our area and the failures will soon be too much to bear because taxes can only go so high.
The biggest joke of all is that local Republicans call themselves Republicans. Isn't the Republican Party supposed to be the party of lower taxes? Yet, year after year the only legislators who vote for less taxes here are a few Democrates. Republicans are supposed to be the party that believes that more money in peoples pockets will actually bring more revenue. Here they seem to believe that taking more from the taxpayer is the way to go.
They should be ashamed to call themselves Republicans. Republican voters should be ashamed to vote for them.
Whatever Tony wants Tony gets. The Board of Legs. are a group of do nothings know nothing spineless,mindless puppets.
So the County Executive asked a good question. What cuts would you have made in the budget to make up for the reduced sales tax rate. Well we have two years before the next vote. Why dont we set up a working committee to figure that out NOW not two years from now when the same question will be asked again.
I know in two years I will be that much closer to leaving the area. By then we will have our "chip plant" and our Indian settlement money and our taxes will be going down lol. Right.
1. Picente & the board are not up for reelection.
2. Picente needs cash flow for the money pit {Griffis} that he created.
3. He needs to continue the friends & family plan, i.e. jobs for the connected, friends & people he owes favors to.
4. It's not an election year.
5. We the sucker's pay for all of the above.
6. Welcome to Dogpatch County!
Asking about what cuts one would recommend is disengeneous at best, deceitful at worst. If there are annual surpluses, that translates to the county taking in more taxe revenue than it needs, thus overtaxing us. To return the surplus by budgeting less revenue through a tax cut, the budget would come closer to a valid revenue/expanditure estimate without cutting a dime. The fact thagt the county overtaxes every year means that they either do not know how to budget or that they build in a tax increase that doesn't appear to be one. In either case, the taxpayer is being bilked!
When reading of the Rolls Royce health plan over 400 county employees have, little wonder that they won't cut the sales tax. As usual the OD did not have anyone explain why many have a plan that costs nearly twice what the average taxpayers plan does, nor did it identify who has these plans. When one includes firng benefits, county labor costs are way out of whack. We have to pay the highest sales tax in the state to keep these guys in the lavish life stlye to which they've become accustomed. Yet, the sheep voters of the area remain, to a large extent, silent.
No doubt the sales tax is high in Oneida County. But note that the NYS sales tax is 4.0%. Counties add local tax on top of the State tax: I am pretty sure the County tax rate should be 4.75%.
You need someone to run who makes his own money through the old fashion way. He earns it. A business person. If your going to fix county government your going to be unpopular and your own employees will revolt passively.
They will find ways to help you not get re-elected or make it so you dont want to keep the job.
He will know he is doing the right thing when he holds people accoutable by how much resistance you get.
The public union employees, the Oneidas and those who benefit from the entrenched politcal establishment through jobs and contracts make it virtually impossible to win as a challanger on the county level. It would take investing or raising a coulple of hundred thousand dollars, minimum. Who would spend tnhat kind of money to be an independent county executive?
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