Twisted Titan
19th October 2010, 09:01 AM
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/despite_budget_cuts_bigger_cou.html
Yet another reason not to buy RE. Municipalities are gonna run hog wild trying to keep the ship of state floating.
Syracuse, NY - Property owners in most of Onondaga County’s suburban areas will see their county taxes rise next year — some substantially — despite the Legislature’s decision to lop $45 million off County Executive Joanie Mahoney’s 2011 spending plan.
Homeowners in Van Buren will take the biggest hit under the $1.15 billion budget approved by lawmakers 15-3 late Tuesday night. County taxes will rise $246 for every $100,000 of a property’s assessed value in Van Buren, assuming the budget survives an expected veto by Mahoney.
Van Buren’s hit was made worse than it otherwise would have been because the town decided to take nearly $1 million in sales tax dollars next year in cash rather than using it to reduce its county property tax levy.
Lafayette is in line for the second biggest hit — a $186 increase for every $100,000 of assessed value.
Elbridge isn’t too far behind. Property owners in that town will pay $137 more in county taxes for every $100,000 of a property’s value.
“Obviously, people are going to be upset,” said Legislator Robert Warner, whose district includes Van Buren and Elbridge.
Warner, who figures he’ll be paying about $700 more in county taxes next year on his home and timberland he owns, said lawmakers did everything they could to cut the tax levy, slashing it by $45 million over Mahoney’s objections. But in the end, there was a limit to what they could do because a major chunk of the county’s spending is on state-mandated items such as Medicaid and pensions, he said.
Tully, Spafford, Skaneateles and Geddes are the only towns that will see county taxes fall next year.
The city of Syracuse and most villages will see decreases, mainly because they have always taken their share of county sales tax revenues in cash. However, for that very same reason, they likely will see increases in their town or city taxes next year.
In Salina, homeowners can expect to pay an extra $132 for every $100,000 of assessed value. In nearby Clay, county tax bills will rise $106 for every $100,000 of assessed value.
“People aren’t going to be happy with the tax increases,” said Legislator Judy Tassone, whose district includes Salina and Clay. “I’m not happy with it, but it’s 100 percent better than what the county executive proposed.”
“We hit every department as much as we possibly could,” she said.“Forty-five million dollars is a lot of money.”
Legislator Casey Jordan, R-Clay, echoed her sentiments.
“I’m a taxpayer, so I’m going to be suffering the same impact,” said Jordan, who estimated his tax bills will rise about $150 on his house in Clay and $300 to $400 on rental properties he owns in Lysander. “I just don’t know where else we could responsibly cut.”
Onondaga also will join the $100-plus club. County taxes there will rise $115 for every $100,000 of assessed value.
The budget approved by the Legislature would actually drop the county’s overall property tax levy from $184 million in 2010 to $135.4 million next year. However, the county’s decision earlier this year to begin phasing out its sharing of sales tax revenue with town and village governments means they will have much less money to offset their share of the levy.
Mahoney has criticized the Legislature for changes it made to her budget, calling them “gimmicks” instead of real spending cuts.
She has until Wednesday to veto portions of it. The Legislature would have until Oct. 25 to override a veto. It would need 13 votes to do so — something it appears to have.
Yet another reason not to buy RE. Municipalities are gonna run hog wild trying to keep the ship of state floating.
Syracuse, NY - Property owners in most of Onondaga County’s suburban areas will see their county taxes rise next year — some substantially — despite the Legislature’s decision to lop $45 million off County Executive Joanie Mahoney’s 2011 spending plan.
Homeowners in Van Buren will take the biggest hit under the $1.15 billion budget approved by lawmakers 15-3 late Tuesday night. County taxes will rise $246 for every $100,000 of a property’s assessed value in Van Buren, assuming the budget survives an expected veto by Mahoney.
Van Buren’s hit was made worse than it otherwise would have been because the town decided to take nearly $1 million in sales tax dollars next year in cash rather than using it to reduce its county property tax levy.
Lafayette is in line for the second biggest hit — a $186 increase for every $100,000 of assessed value.
Elbridge isn’t too far behind. Property owners in that town will pay $137 more in county taxes for every $100,000 of a property’s value.
“Obviously, people are going to be upset,” said Legislator Robert Warner, whose district includes Van Buren and Elbridge.
Warner, who figures he’ll be paying about $700 more in county taxes next year on his home and timberland he owns, said lawmakers did everything they could to cut the tax levy, slashing it by $45 million over Mahoney’s objections. But in the end, there was a limit to what they could do because a major chunk of the county’s spending is on state-mandated items such as Medicaid and pensions, he said.
Tully, Spafford, Skaneateles and Geddes are the only towns that will see county taxes fall next year.
The city of Syracuse and most villages will see decreases, mainly because they have always taken their share of county sales tax revenues in cash. However, for that very same reason, they likely will see increases in their town or city taxes next year.
In Salina, homeowners can expect to pay an extra $132 for every $100,000 of assessed value. In nearby Clay, county tax bills will rise $106 for every $100,000 of assessed value.
“People aren’t going to be happy with the tax increases,” said Legislator Judy Tassone, whose district includes Salina and Clay. “I’m not happy with it, but it’s 100 percent better than what the county executive proposed.”
“We hit every department as much as we possibly could,” she said.“Forty-five million dollars is a lot of money.”
Legislator Casey Jordan, R-Clay, echoed her sentiments.
“I’m a taxpayer, so I’m going to be suffering the same impact,” said Jordan, who estimated his tax bills will rise about $150 on his house in Clay and $300 to $400 on rental properties he owns in Lysander. “I just don’t know where else we could responsibly cut.”
Onondaga also will join the $100-plus club. County taxes there will rise $115 for every $100,000 of assessed value.
The budget approved by the Legislature would actually drop the county’s overall property tax levy from $184 million in 2010 to $135.4 million next year. However, the county’s decision earlier this year to begin phasing out its sharing of sales tax revenue with town and village governments means they will have much less money to offset their share of the levy.
Mahoney has criticized the Legislature for changes it made to her budget, calling them “gimmicks” instead of real spending cuts.
She has until Wednesday to veto portions of it. The Legislature would have until Oct. 25 to override a veto. It would need 13 votes to do so — something it appears to have.