Quoted from rampage

Only per $1,000 of assessed value.  They're still spending more and more each year.  Luckily, they have had re-evaluations in Rotterdam and Schenectady the past few years to "spread the wealth" a bit more.  Those of us that are paying taxes see that the actual bill is going UP.

The COUNTY TAX RATE has gone done.    

Most County spending goes to cover state mandates -- the County Leg has NO CONTROL over the state mandates.

The County Tax is only one part of your total tax bill --- Town Tax is separate and so is the School Tax --- so you can't blame the County Legislature for what happens with your Town Tax rate and School Tax rate.

Oh --- and one more thing --- if Tommasone & Mertz and DelGallo & Godlewski  had garsped the concept of  sharing services with the county and neighboring municipalities  -- they might have been able to lower our Town Tax rate -- but the stubbornly resisted and in the process screwed the voters/taxpayers.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

The COUNTY TAX RATE has gone done.    

Only the total PER EVALUATED DOLLAR has gone down, since the EVALUATED PRICES OF HOMES have gone up due to re-evaluations (some doubling).

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Most County spending goes to cover state mandates -- the County Leg has NO CONTROL over the state mandates.

True, but they do have control over all of the other spending, and do you know what?  Schenectady County says that these state mandates are somewhere around what, 40% of the budget? (AND BY THE WAY, 40% ISN'T MOST OF THE SPENDING, IT'S LESS THAN HALF) Well, someone with the SAME STATE MANDATES (Rensselaer County) say that it is somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-65% of their spending.  The difference?  That other 25% would be wasted spending in the county.  That's spending you CAN'T blame on "STATE AND FEDERAL MANDATES," which, ironically, is what the tax bill says that comes from the county.  I would guess that means that 100% of what I'm paying is those mandates, not LESS THAN 50%.  That, my friend, if you knew anything about business, would be considered FALSE ADVERTISING, or better yet FRAUD.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

The County Tax is only one part of your total tax bill --- Town Tax is separate and so is the School Tax --- so you can't blame the County Legislature for what happens with your Town Tax rate and School Tax rate.

And these didn't go up at nearly the rate that the County tax rate has been going up.  In fact, by School taxes were flat this last year, no additional taxes.  And the only reason the Town Tax rate stayed the same is due to the fact that the 3 conservative (small c) members of the town board decided it was better to use our Fund Balance (pre-paid taxes) to help with our current taxes.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Oh --- and one more thing --- if Tommasone & Mertz and DelGallo & Godlewski  had garsped the concept of  sharing services with the county and neighboring municipalities  -- they might have been able to lower our Town Tax rate -- but the stubbornly resisted and in the process screwed the voters/taxpayers.

Oh, and if Constantino had learned to keep his hands to himself, Mohonasen might have lower school taxes, but he didn't.  Also, sharing services doesn't necessarily save any money.  If I decide that I want to take you to McDonalds, and we decide to share the bill, the only way we're going to save money is if we don't order more than we normally would if we were each paying with our money, but you would be digging into my pocket.  I would be ordering off the dollar menu, and you would order the biggest meal you could, then saying that we each need to pay half the bill...and we would be "sharing" as you still grab some of my fries.

FACTS
State mandates account for over 60% of the Schenectady County budget  NOT 40%.

It makes sense that your assessed value went up .. especially AFTER the reval .. some folks bought homes in the 1930's and have been paying taxes based on property values from about 1950 .. then they did the reval and that put all the properties at a more reasonable current value.   BTW - I do know a number of town residents who are paying LESS taxes since the reval .. and NOT because they had connections or got lucky .. but because they were paying TOO MUCH in taxes before the reval because they lived in newer homes.

Sharing a meal at Mcdonald's is NOT the same as "sharing services" --- sharing services is  I have a lawn mower and you have a snow blower  .... and instead of me buying a snow blower and you buying a lawn mower .. I mow BOTH my lawn and your lawn .. and you blow the snow from your driveway and my driveway.   We both save money because we don't have to buy redundant equipment we don't need.

Using your logic DV we don't need another park in Rotterdam because the city already has one, go use it.

Quoted from Shadow

Using your logic DV we don't need another park in Rotterdam because the city already has one, go use it.

Shadow -- good one!  You tell him.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

  

Most County spending goes to cover state mandates -- the County Leg has NO CONTROL over the state mandates.

Answer us a question: Is the County Nursing Home and the amount of welfare we pay state mandated? We know you know everything, so please tell us.

Quoted from rampage

Only the total PER EVALUATED DOLLAR has gone down, since the EVALUATED PRICES OF HOMES have gone up due to re-evaluations (some doubling).


True, but they do have control over all of the other spending, and do you know what?  Schenectady County says that these state mandates are somewhere around what, 40% of the budget? (AND BY THE WAY, 40% ISN'T MOST OF THE SPENDING, IT'S LESS THAN HALF) Well, someone with the SAME STATE MANDATES (Rensselaer County) say that it is somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-65% of their spending.  The difference?  That other 25% would be wasted spending in the county.  That's spending you CAN'T blame on "STATE AND FEDERAL MANDATES," which, ironically, is what the tax bill says that comes from the county.  I would guess that means that 100% of what I'm paying is those mandates, not LESS THAN 50%.  That, my friend, if you knew anything about business, would be considered FALSE ADVERTISING, or better yet FRAUD.


And these didn't go up at nearly the rate that the County tax rate has been going up.  In fact, by School taxes were flat this last year, no additional taxes.  And the only reason the Town Tax rate stayed the same is due to the fact that the 3 conservative (small c) members of the town board decided it was better to use our Fund Balance (pre-paid taxes) to help with our current taxes.




Oh, and if Constantino had learned to keep his hands to himself, Mohonasen might have lower school taxes, but he didn't.  Also, sharing services doesn't necessarily save any money.  If I decide that I want to take you to McDonalds, and we decide to share the bill, the only way we're going to save money is if we don't order more than we normally would if we were each paying with our money, but you would be digging into my pocket.  I would be ordering off the dollar menu, and you would order the biggest meal you could, then saying that we each need to pay half the bill...and we would be "sharing" as you still grab some of my fries.

LIKE

Quoted from Shadow

Using your logic DV we don't need another park in Rotterdam because the city already has one, go use it.

The analogy was explaining the definition of SHARED SERVICES which apparently   McGarry, Abbott, Villano, Marchinkowski, Tomaselli and a whole bunch of people who post on this website think is the same thing as CONSOLIDATION.   The fact is that the two are not the same thing --- and if someone is going to run for public office he or she should know the difference.

As for the parks issue --- Central Park is a completely different type of park from what is being proposed with Bicentennial Park ... and quite frankly I believe that BOTH parks should exist .. along with the many other existing and proposed parks and conservation areas in Schenectady County.

I can see Rotterdam entering into a shared service arrangement with other municipalities to maintain our parks and our recreation program.   Also, I can see - the possibility - that someday ALL the parks and conservation areas and the recreation and community programs could be consolidated at the county level.  

Those are all very real possibilities --- those possibilities were included in the Vision 2020 Town Parks and Recreation Plan  ---  and they are certainly worth researching and definitely worth talking about.

My goal is to have a parks and conservation area system along with a recreational and community programs system that EVERY resident of the town can enjoy and that will improve the overall quality of life ---- and MOST IMPORTANTLY which can be offered in the most reasonable and cost efficient way possible.   So that is why we must have cooperation between our town and the county, our town and other municipalities, our town and the private sector and our town and the state & federal governments.      

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

We need to share services, except for those things that I say we need separate services for, but you'll never be able to back me into a corner about it because we're in a circular room.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

The analogy was explaining the definition of SHARED SERVICES which apparently   McGarry, Abbott, Villano, Marchinkowski, Tomaselli and a whole bunch of people who post on this website think is the same thing as CONSOLIDATION.   The fact is that the two are not the same thing --- and if someone is going to run for public office he or she should know the difference.

As for the parks issue --- Central Park is a completely different type of park from what is being proposed with Bicentennial Park ... and quite frankly I believe that BOTH parks should exist .. along with the many other existing and proposed parks and conservation areas in Schenectady County.

I can see Rotterdam entering into a shared service arrangement with other municipalities to maintain our parks and our recreation program.   Also, I can see - the possibility - that someday ALL the parks and conservation areas and the recreation and community programs could be consolidated at the county level.  

Those are all very real possibilities --- those possibilities were included in the Vision 2020 Town Parks and Recreation Plan  ---  and they are certainly worth researching and definitely worth talking about.

My goal is to have a parks and conservation area system along with a recreational and community programs system that EVERY resident of the town can enjoy and that will improve the overall quality of life ---- and MOST IMPORTANTLY which can be offered in the most reasonable and cost efficient way possible.   So that is why we must have cooperation between our town and the county, our town and other municipalities, our town and the private sector and our town and the state & federal governments.      

Now you're talking about parks costing us something ... in the same conversation you bring up Bicentennial Park ...

Which is it, there's no cost to the taxpayers or it's gonna be done at a "reasonable cost"?

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

Answer us a question: Is the County Nursing Home and the amount of welfare we pay state mandated? We know you know everything, so please tell us.

Exactly! Sick and tired of these liars.

Quoted from 147

Now you're talking about parks costing us something ... in the same conversation you bring up Bicentennial Park ...

Which is it, there's no cost to the taxpayers or it's gonna be done at a "reasonable cost"?

Ronnie is completely full of goat $hit or sheep $hit or whatever animal he is in the mood for this week!

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

Answer us a question: Is the County Nursing Home and the amount of welfare we pay state mandated? We know you know everything, so please tell us.

Let us ask this question again? How about retroactive raises for politically connected department heads? How about the Sheriff's pay increase? How about the County clerk's pay increase? Are those mandated?

I have never said there is no cost to maintain town parks or any park.   I have said that the cost of BUILDING/DEVELOPING  Bicentennial Park could be funded through private and federal/state grants -- and since it will be a passive use park .. it will not have costly buildings and other facilities ... the development costs would not be that great  (and the park could be developed over a period of years to spread out the cost).

The dimwit nayboobs like to lie and twist and otherwise distort the truth --- but the FACT is that the park will only be built if we can put together a package of private and state/federal grants that basically it will NOT cost the  property tax payers of Rotterdam anything to develop it.

As for the cost to maintain the park after being developed -- again -- because it will be a passive use park .. it will not have expanses of lawn to mow or buildings/facilities to maintain and repair.   The roadways, parking areas, hiking/biking trails would be designed so as to be very low maintenance.   The cost of the river dockage could be offset by a use fee .. for boats traveling along the state canal system that choose to stop there - or the dockage could be leased out to a private entity to operate it.

what jobs will there be???.....let's get to the issues....