Yes, Mayor Darth Vader insists on keeping assessments WAY WAY WAY ABOVE the actual market values of the houses (market values PROVEN by the EVIDENCE I have provided showing that market values are easily 20 to 30% lower than what the city claims (notice that DV has not provided one teeny weeny shred of proof to discredit my proof).

On top of that, the dems get around it by creating "fees" (and then raising those fees).   Remember how Stratton said "absolutely NOT" when Jurzynski proposed a trash fee, but then Stratton proposes the SAME thing a FEW years later proclaiming it will be the saving grace for the city, but instead it has resulted in an increase in tax seized homes because the people can't afford it.   Yeah, it was the saving grace to the city's fat salaries and allowing the head of the trash dept to get his lavish salary and benefits and live far far far outside the city (and county I believe).

Mayor Darth Vader has an obligation to IMMEDIATELY COMMENCE a reassessment of ALL properties i the city and lower them to their TRUE value which is about 20 to 30% lower.   And he has an obligation to stop telling the assessment board members to deny all grievances as well.

Of course we all know that Darth Vader will NEVER reassess because doing so would put the city well over the limit!

Schenectady County Legislature approves sales tax agreement
SCHENECTADY COUNTY — The Schenectady County Legislature approved a new four-year sales tax agreement Thursday night that gives a little extra to everyone but not a lot to anyone.

Legislators approved the agreement, which runs to Nov. 30, 2012, along party lines, 8-3, with three Democrats and one Republican absent.

The agreement guarantees $11 million to the city of Schenectady and $7.8 million to the towns and villages in sales tax receipts each year. The towns and villages also receive approximately $3.3 million through a portion of the sales tax that funds the Metroplex Development Authority.

The city will receive an extra $25,000 per year, on top of the previous year’s $25,000, for a total of $250,000.

The towns and villages will benefit from any growth in the Metroplex sales tax formula. They receive one-third of one-half of 1 percent of the sales tax. Metroplex receives the remainder, which totals around $7 million.

If sales tax revenue grows by 1 percent annually, the towns and villages will receive an extra $125,000 on top of their regular share, said county Legislator Tony Jasenski, D-Rotterdam. Consequently, should sales tax revenue decline, they will have to absorb the loss on the Metroplex side of the formula.

The county gets to retain any excess over $83.5 million in sales tax receipts. The prior four-year agreement required the county to share this excess with the city, towns and villages.

The county projects collecting $83.5 million in 2009, but officials are pessimistic about collecting the full amount due to the recession.

Some City Council members tried to block the agreement because it removed the sharing clause. But on Monday, the City Council approved the agreement 4-3.

Schenectady County Legislature Minority Leader Robert Farley, R-Niskayuna, said the agreement did not go far enough to help the towns and villages. “They are getting the same amount in real dollar terms that they got four years ago. Meanwhile, their costs have increased,” he said. “The county is taking from the towns.”

Farley and Legislator Angelo Santabarbara, R-Rotterdam, said several supervisors told him they opposed the agreement. No supervisors attended the meeting.

In a phone interview after the meeting, Princetown Supervisor Nicholas Maura said none of the supervisors are thrilled with it. “The increases are not indexed to anything and it has been going down about $15,000 over the past four years, but we do count on it,” Maura said. “But it might work out on the Metroplex side if there is growth.”

Legislator Joseph Suhrada, R-Rotterdam, said the agreement “gives a very dangerous group of people more money to waste,” referring to majority Democrats.

Majority Leader Gary Hughes, D-Schenectady, called the agreement fair and said the towns and villages will “grow their share” if sales tax receipts increase. He called the deal with the city a compromise.

Hughes said the county needs sales tax revenues to pay for the library system, the nursing home and, “in short, for services people need.”

The county expects to face severe financial problems in coming years due to the recession and because the state is trying to shift costs down to local governments.

“This is the best agreement we will get in these tough times,” Hughes said.

Legislator Karen Johnson, D-Schenectady, said the county is doing its best to help the towns and villages.

“There is no legal requirement to share this with anyone, but we want to be fair and help everyone,” Johnson said. “It is an agreement that keeps things much as they were. Everyone wanted more but there isn’t much more to share.”

The agreement includes language that allows the county to keep revenues generated by any addition to the sales tax. The county’s portion of the sales tax is 4 percent and the state’s portion is 4 percent. The county, with state approval, could raise the sales tax should it need revenues to deal with its economic problems, although no one has discussed the possibility.

"The City will receive a $25,000 more a year". ROTFLMAO!! That won't cover a weeks interest on the $100 MILLION Bonding. Working together works! Except when the pie shrinks then it's every man for themselves. Another slap in the face to oppressed town property taxpayers who are already supporting all the tax exempt BS Downtown. Stop re-electing these fiscally incompetent DEM morons.

DV better get down to Villa Italia every day and stuff himself so he can pay more taxes and help the sales tax revenue in the city.

So what is the over/under on the new budget.  Shortage of $10 million?  What will the loss be?  I have to give it to the financial folks at the city. They are doing a wonderful shell game with the numbers.  Got Moodys and the State fooled.  The thing about accounting though is you cant hide things very long.....eventually the sh1t always rises to the top.