Quoted Text

Schenectady nonprofits say 'curb fee' to hurt
By Lauren Stanforth Staff Writer
Published: 12:00 a.m., Wednesday, October 6, 2010

SCHENECTADY -- For Michael Saccocio, executive director of the City Mission of Schenectady, news that the city might assess a fee next year to his nonprofit organization makes him look out his window and sigh.

The proposed "curb fee" would be based on a property's frontage with city streets. And the City Mission, which shelters and feeds about 100 people a day, takes up three sides of a square block in Hamilton Hill.

"These are really hard times, everyone is being stretched farther than they've ever been before and we respect where the mayor is coming from," Saccocio said.

Mayor Brian U. Stratton's proposal would charge all property owners a fee for road services to help close a $6 million budget gap. However, "when you hear it's based on per-foot," he said, "we get anxious."

Many not-for-profits expressed the same sentiment Tuesday, a day after Stratton unveiled his 2011 spending plan. It also calls for the closure of a fire station and cuts to pools and parks. Nonprofits are concerned about how to pay for such a fee, but not surprised more money is being asked of them.

Ed August, executive director of Better Neighborhoods Inc., an affordable housing provider, said he already reduced his office hours after the state cut its aid by $34,000.

"Is it going to hurt me? Yes," August said about the proposed curb fee. "It's a tax, that's what it is."

The curb fee is meant to not only spread the property tax burden among residential and commercial owners, but also to tax-exempt not-for-profits such as churches, parochial schools and medical facilities. For Stratton, it's an opportunity to reduce the proposed property tax hike next year from 8.8 percent to 4 percent by raising another $1.4 million in revenue. City Council President Gary McCarthy has said he supports the move -- depending on what the fees will be. City Council must approve the proposed $76.9 million budget by Nov. 1.................>>>>...................>>>>........................http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Schenectady-nonprofits-say-curb-fee-to-hurt-689182.php

The city council never met a tax they didn't like.

This is a bad idea -- taxing churches and parochial schools will be a disaster.

Quoted from Shadow

The city council never met a tax they didn't like.

They also never met a tax they didn't hike. More "fast thinking" from the finance department?

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

This is a bad idea -- taxing churches and parochial schools will be a disaster.

The better thing to do would be to take back the property tax exemptions on all those downtown businesses.  It's a worse disaster to give them tax breaks thus making the homeowners cover those costs....and the diaster has already beeen proven beyond all doubt----crime is hup, taxes are up, city services are reduced, codes are not enforced, the vacancy rate in the city of houses is up, the number of abandoned houses is up....but that is YOUR Savage and friends who spend all the money on downtown and what of it has improved the city?

Better that Golub, Mallozzi and the other wealthy for profits pay their taxes rather than tax the churches and many of the non-profits.

But some of those "everything-for-downtown" dems wouldn't dare want to make the millionaires pay their property taxes, only the lower income homeowners, and the elderly on social security.

   Golub doesn't pay any tax. They rent from Galesi, at a below market square footage rate. The HQ on Nott should be fully assessed. It isn't. Between Proctor's grabbing bank buildings on State and sweet tax deals no wonder the City can't pay its bills.

Quoted from mikechristine1

Better that Golub, Mallozzi and the other wealthy for profits pay their taxes rather than tax the churches and many of the non-profits.

But some of those "everything-for-downtown" dems wouldn't dare want to make the millionaires pay their property taxes, only the lower income homeowners, and the elderly on social security.

Better that the esteemed Metroplex cronies pay their fair share and not only eliminate this practically negligible, bordering on illegal, "curb fee", but they should be taking the tax burden off the homeowners. Let's see how long Golub, Marcella or Mallozzi stay in Schenectady once they lose their "get of of Metro-tax free" card. Abolish metroplex and give the City back millions.  

Quoted from 737

Better that the esteemed Metroplex cronies pay their fair share and not only eliminate this practically negligible, bordering on illegal, "curb fee", but they should be taking the tax burden off the homeowners. Let's see how long Golub, Marcella or Mallozzi stay in Schenectady once they lose their "get of of Metro-tax free" card. Abolish metroplex and give the City back millions.  

But haven't you heard that Metrograft created 3,500 new jobs? lol. That's why total County employment dropped 1,000 between 2000-2010.

     Abolish Metrograft and give consumers a reason to buy in Schenectady County again. Nobody wants to count the thousands of jobs lost in retail since we lost our sales tax advantage. Our sales tax is now higher than surrounding Counties. You forget more about economics than these morons know McQueen.

It is time to summons Mr. Hugh Farley, now and when elected, to bring legislation forth to de solve the metroplex. It clearly has NOT accomplished what it was originated to do. It was suppose to be BI-PARTISAN and it was suppose to benefit ALL of Schenectady County. Not just the 2 blocks of State St. It was suppose to create jobs and lower taxes.

It has done just the opposite on ALL counts.

Email, snail mail and call Mr. Hugh Farley and tell him that it is time to legislate a law disbanding the Metroplex!!!

Quoted from benny salami

   Golub doesn't pay any tax. They rent from Galesi, at a below market square footage rate. The HQ on Nott should be fully assessed. It isn't. Between Proctor's grabbing bank buildings on State and sweet tax deals no wonder the City can't pay its bills.

Golub doesn't pay any tax because he is on the Metroplex Board and they wanted to cover it up. Galesi received millions in state and Metroplex grants and loans, thus lowering Golub's rent!

If the curb tax passes .. I guess my parish could ask the bishop if we could build a new church on the
5+ vacant acres (behind the cemetery) that we own in Rotterdam.

That's exactly what people are doing leaving and that's why there are so many empty houses in the city. Taxes are too high and the streets are too dangerous and everyone knows it.

$10,000-$12,000 in taxes for homes in the city.....that's after the guanese were lured here and given tax discount then hit with full tax assessment.......they promised GOOD jobs too....hahahhahahahaha

when in Rome let it burn.....and apparently they will considering the layoff of firefighters.......joke.....

get rid of dumbass mandates from the state to the county to the city......WE CANT AFFORD THIS NANNY STATE........

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

If the curb tax passes .. I guess my parish could ask the bishop if we could build a new church on the
5+ vacant acres (behind the cemetery) that we own in Rotterdam.

Well it's YOUR democrats that are taxing them.  A church gets it's income from the congregation.  The congregation is comprised of people who own homes and pay their own property taxes and curb fees.  

So now, thanks to YOUR democrats who exempt the millionaires from paying their taxes, well, the parishoners who pay not only their own taxes on their own homes, AND they pay for the property taxes of the well-heeled rich business owners downtown, now he parishoners will pay double the curb fee----they will pay their own AND they will have to pay more to the parish in order for the parisn to pay the curb fee.....all because Schenetady needs money.  And YOUR democrats in Schenectady are too chicken to tell the millionaires that they have to pay their own property taxes.....see, again, I have proven....YOUR democrats take form the lower income to give to the rich......raise the taxes on the lower income in order to exempt the rich from property taxes..    

And in exchange for all the increased taxes on the lower income, in exchange for all the "take from the poor to give to the rich," what have Schenectady residents got for that?   Higher taxes, lower property values, increased crime, cutting neccessary services, and the spending, no, the WASTING of money on stupid ABSOLUTELY UNNECESSARY things like a bike path.

Quoted from mikechristine1

Well it's YOUR democrats that are taxing them.  A church gets it's income from the congregation.  The congregation is comprised of people who own homes and pay their own property taxes and curb fees.  

So now, thanks to YOUR democrats who exempt the millionaires from paying their taxes, well, the parishoners who pay not only their own taxes on their own homes, AND they pay for the property taxes of the well-heeled rich business owners downtown, now he parishoners will pay double the curb fee----they will pay their own AND they will have to pay more to the parish in order for the parisn to pay the curb fee.....all because Schenetady needs money.  And YOUR democrats in Schenectady are too chicken to tell the millionaires that they have to pay their own property taxes.....see, again, I have proven....YOUR democrats take form the lower income to give to the rich......raise the taxes on the lower income in order to exempt the rich from property taxes..    

And in exchange for all the increased taxes on the lower income, in exchange for all the "take from the poor to give to the rich," what have Schenectady residents got for that?   Higher taxes, lower property values, increased crime, cutting neccessary services, and the spending, no, the WASTING of money on stupid ABSOLUTELY UNNECESSARY things like a bike path.

Well said Mike, except no one would be dumb enough to open a business in the city unless they were bribed into it.