Both residents and nonprofit groups urged Schenectady County legislators to adapt the county’s 2013 budget plan at a recent public hearing — the former to lower the tax hike, the latter to keep government funding flowing.
The legislature on Monday, Oct. 15, heard two opposing viewpoints during the required public hearing pitting the cost of services against the burden on taxpayers. The majority of residents argued the proposed 7.5 percent tax levy increase is unacceptable, but others, including a contingent of library employees, said cutting services would hurt residents who are the most in need.
Many people speaking at the hearing had spoken out when the county proposed exceeding the tax cap and continued their arguments for or against the budget. The Chamber of Schenectady County President Charles Steiner continued his push against raising taxes above the tax cap, which is about 3 percent this year for the county.
The legislature on Monday, Oct. 1, approved overriding the tax cap by a vote of 11-4, with Republican James Buhrmaster, Conservative Holly Vellano and Democrats Angelo Santabarbara and Thomas Constantine opposing it.
Steiner presented a chart showing the county is losing higher-income households as lower-income households are increasing, according to data from the Capital District Regional Planning Commission. He said the “alarming” rate decline is bad for businesses and taxpayers if not changed.
“The portion of the population who live on very small incomes — including retirees, single mothers and people earning very low wages — is growing,” Steiner said. “People who can afford an increase are fleeing and have been for many years.”
He added the exodus of wealthy residents is bad for nonprofits because the financial donations from such individuals are being lost.
The tax rate of the county, according to the Planning Commission’s data, is more than double that in Albany and Saratoga counties and almost $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value more than in Rensselaer County, Steiner said.
“Raising taxes may seem like the answer to our problems, but it’s not,” he said. “It is driving people who can afford to pay taxes out of Schenectady County and with each family that leaves, the problem gets bigger.”
Ed Capovani, a Glenville resident and small business owner, also said raising taxes would make residents leave the county. He urged legislators to develop creative solutions to reduce taxes.
“If you keep taxing everybody where they can’t afford to pay and they flee the county … the burden is larger for who remains and that population gets smaller,” Capovani said.
Joseph Guidarelli, Rotterdam resident and Schenectady business owner, questioned why raises are being given to some employees after legislators voted to override the tax cap.
“In this economy and what’s going on in this county, it leads me to believe that the people on this board are out of touch with reality,” Guidarelli said.
Others, though, argued legislators aren’t understanding of challenges that would face residents if services are cut.
Margo Mahoski, of Catholic Charities Senior Services in Schenectady, said the group has served 17,500 meals this year at its four dining centers spread across the county. It also made 4,000 meal deliveries through its Meals on Wheels program. Catholic Charities’ medical transportation program usage has increased 49 percent this year and is estimated to make 16,000 trips to and from appointments, Mahoski said.
Several people associated with the Schenectady County Public Library said the library would be unable to continue offering the same level of service should any more cuts be made to its budget. Some said hours might have to be reduced if the budget is cut.
“The libraries are the first place that a struggling community comes to for help,” Karen Bradley, reference librarian and adult programming coordinator, said. “The library staff is out working in the literary trenches, taking books and effective programs directly into the lives of children, their parents, their grandparents, their caregivers. ”
During the public hearing, Glenville Deputy Supervisor Alan Boulant noted not the entire legislature was present to hear the impassioned pleas. Several legislators were absent from the Monday hearing, including Robert Hoffman, Brian Gordon, Anthony Jasenski and Holly Vellano. Thomas Constantine arrived late, after about an hour and 20 minutes of the nearly two-hour meeting had passed.
Boulant, along with others, questioned the legislature’s decision to build a new Glendale Nursing Home and not shift operation of the home over to the private sector. He said Glendale is budgeted for an $8 million subsidy next year and other nursing homes being built in the area are falling $10 to $15 million below Glendale’s cost.
The timing of the tax increase troubled Boulant, because there was no tax increases in the last two election years with seats up for vote. Now that legislators not facing an election, the taxes are increasing.
“What about next year? You guys got seven seats up,” Boulant said. “When you are going to do tax increases, a little bit at a time … is the right way to go about it. The public is not stupid.”
A special meeting of the legislature was scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 17, to consider the budget, but it was postponed until further notice the day before.