Quoted Text

Rotterdam residents vote down tax for ambulance service
December 14, 2010 10:35 PM
CBS 6 Staff

ROTTERDAM -- A big crowd turned out in Rotterdam to vote on whether residents will have to pay taxes for its own ambulance service.

Rotterdam officials held that special referendum today to determine the creation of a tax district to support Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services.

Town Supervisor Frank Del Gallo tells CBS 6 from the time doors opened at 8 a.m. a steady stream of just over 3,800 people came to cast their vote.

1396 voted yes. 2,472 voted no.

This means property owners will not have to pay a tax of 10 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation to keep the Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services afloat.

http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/rotterdam-1281224-residents-vote.html

The decision is in and the people have spoken.  I must say that when I voted, about 5:30 or so, town hall was still packed and nobody knew what was going on, at least the residents.  The entire setup was horrible.  They should have had multiple sites where people could have voted.  Ticketing for people parking around the area should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, depending on the infraction.  If it's blocking a fire hydrant or someone's driveway, it could have been a safety issue.  If it was parking on the grass, that could be something to look at and reconsider.  I guess the money from the tickets there can go towards the amount that will now be carved out of the general budget to help to fund REMS, as I'm sure they'll go back towards funding it as it was previously.  

I await to see what happens now as far as the possibility of Mohawk taking over one or both REMS buildings by either purchase or eminent domain.  

Again, I say that the people have spoken.  They disagreed with me, just as they did in the previous elections... and look at the current situation the town is in.

We'll go forward from here and see what happens.

I wonder what this disaster of a referendum cost Rotterdam taxpayers.  Although it was very poorly planned, I'm sure they spent top dollar on it.

I wonder if we'll ever know what the expenses for the REMS signs and advertising were - and how it was paid.

Quoted from 147

I wonder what this disaster of a referendum cost Rotterdam taxpayers.  Although it was very poorly planned, I'm sure they spent top dollar on it.

I wonder if we'll ever know what the expenses for the REMS signs and advertising were - and how it was paid.

The Tommasone Administration would have paid Chazen $5000 to study the best way to set up the voting process.  

Quoted from 147

I wonder what this disaster of a referendum cost Rotterdam taxpayers.  Although it was very poorly planned, I'm sure they spent top dollar on it.

I wonder if we'll ever know what the expenses for the REMS signs and advertising were - and how it was paid.

While I can understand this sentiment, I wonder if the No New Tax district proponents paid more for the signs than they would have had to pay for the new tax.

Quoted from CICERO

Democracy?  Yeah we elected them in in November.  They just held an unnecessary referendum vote for a taxing district that was opposed through public polling.  Who or what was the driving force behind this unnecessary referendum?  Because obviously it wasn't the everyday resident.  Special interest?  

Like Senders says "SHOW ME THE MONEY" Where's that ALS money?  Who stood to gain both politically and financially?

Democracy involves holding a public vote -- that is what we had.  
Many everyday residents voted in favor of the tax district -- so you can't say that no everyday resident
wanted the tax district.

As for who stood to gain the most financially -- I would say that it is Mohawk Ambulance as they are
the FOR PROFIT company and thus stood to gain financially from the referendum being defeated.

Quoted from Kevin March

While I can understand this sentiment, I wonder if the No New Tax district proponents paid more for the signs than they would have had to pay for the new tax.

Fortunately, I'm under the impression they did it for the benefit of the town, not themselves individually.  

AFAIK, these were privately funded, whereas every penny REMS spends should be publicly accountable.

http://www.spotlightnews.com/n.....mp;utm_campaign=News

2 portions of the above article, click the link to read the entire article...

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“[Voter turnout] was higher than both what the Board of Elections expected as well as what the administration expected,” said Town Attorney Joseph Liccardi.

Since the tax district was voted down, Mohawk Ambulance Service is expected to be the main provider of ambulance services for the town after board approval, according to previous statements made by Del Gallo.

Bottom line, the public has spoken, they're not in favor of new taxes.  This doesn't mean they're AGAINST REMS .. or "anti-REMS" as some call it, they're just not interested in paying any new taxes for the service.  I don't believe they'd even approve of the $10k/month at this point, but that's up to the board to decide.

This was a vote for creating a new tax - not for choosing a provider.  It just so happens that one appears to be nearly insolvent without the creation of public funding (through taxes).  Perhaps if REMS got their billing together, started working like a business, or got back to their volunteer roots, they'd do better off than they are currently.

IMHO of course.

DV, will you be my political advisor and pollster? I really need someone like you who gets it right.

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

DV, will you be my political advisor and pollster? I really need someone like you who gets it right.

I was over 80% correct with my predictions in the November election.  
And I was correct -- to some extent -- on the tax district -- a large number of persons did vote YES ...
funny most of you folks were saying that NO ONE would support the tax district.

As for whether I would work for you on a campaign -- I have a strong hunch about who you are -- and lets
just say that I would rather be stripped naked, covered in honey and forced to lay on a hill of fire ants
-- before I would ever have anything do with you.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

I was over 80% correct with my predictions in the November election.  
And I was correct -- to some extent -- on the tax district -- a large number of persons did vote YES ...
funny most of you folks were saying that NO ONE would support the tax district.

As for whether I would work for you on a campaign -- I have a strong hunch about who you are -- and lets
just say that I would rather be stripped naked, covered in honey and forced to lay on a hill of fire ants
-- before I would ever have anything do with you.

who said "no one" would support it?  I don't see that anywhere in this thread.

Quoted from Kevin March

1988 George W. Bush wins,
("Read my lips, no new taxes")


1750 Reverend Jonathan Mayhew, 1765 James Otis lose.
("No new taxation without representation", "Taxation without representation is tyranny")

hmm...good point kevin!

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Voters say no to Rotterdam ambulance plan
By Lauren Stanforth Staff Writer
Published: 03:51 p.m., Tuesday, December 14, 2010

ROTTERDAM -- Voters Tuesday rejected a proposal to create a special tax district that would keep Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services afloat.

The referendum, which would have cost the owner of a $200,000 home $20 a year, went down by a vote of 2,472 to 1,386. The polling was marked by a continuous stream of people descending on Town Hall, a sight that Schenectady County Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Art Brassard called rare for a local election.

The vote decided if property owners would be assessed a tax of 10 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation to help REMS purchase equipment and keep up maintenance on its building. The topic has been a controversial one since two ambulance services merged to become REMS in 2004. The town currently pays the local ambulance corps $120,000 a year, and the tax district would have generated $235,000. Any major expenditures would again have to be voted on by property owners, REMS had said.

Meanwhile, Mohawk Ambulance, a for-profit company that stood to take over service if the tax district went down, actively campaigned for a no vote, putting up billboards and sending out mailers.

"The voters of Rotterdam sent a strong message tonight that they do not want to be taxed for a service they can get for free," Mohawk Ambulance spokesman Tom Nardacci said. "The proposal Mohawk Ambulance made to the town would ensure that Rotterdam residents receive high quality and reliable ambulance service without a new tax.".....................>>>>.........................>>>>...............http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Voters-say-no-to-Rotterdam-ambulance-plan-881273.php