Business districts’ success isn’t helping Schenectady residents BY ROBERT CARACCIOLO For The Sunday Gazette
Acity is only prosperous when its residents are reaping the benefits as well. On Jan. 13, during his State of the City address, Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy spoke emphatically on how the addition of new businesses is improving the city fi nancially. He carried an optimistic tone but conceded that more work needs to be done to solve the city’s issues. My initial problem with McCarthy’s speech is his insinuation that the improvement of business districts throughout the city equates to a prosperous city as a whole. This is simply not true. In fact, areas like downtown Schenectady only seem to highlight the disparity between business districts and residential neighborhoods. I also wonder whether the city is doing as well as it could from a financial standpoint, given Elmer Bertsch’s Viewpoint column last Sunday on the city’s numerous PILOT agreements. Bertsch questioned the growing number of PILOT agreements Metroplex and the county/city IDAs are doling out to new businesses in Schenectady. After all, a PILOT agreement is simply a financial incentive used to lure in businesses that don’t want to pay county, city or school property taxes. In essence, the city is subsidizing these businesses by allowing their property tax-exempt status, as long as they pay an agreed-upon amount each year, which is generally far less than what they would pay in taxes. And, of course, when the agreement reaches its end date, instead of entering onto the county, city and school tax rolls, the businesses can just get up and leave if they want to. One has to wonder how fi nancially benefi cial these PILOT agreements are to the city. McCarthy also touted the city government’s finances as being “stable,” which might be true considering that its fi scal stress score from the state comptroller indicates it is not at risk. However, the city school district has the ninth worst fiscal stress score in the entire state, which is rather disconcerting. The school district needs as much revenue as possible, considering it only received an estimated 54 percent of the financial aid it was supposed to get from the state last year. While I’m sure the school district gets its fair portion of money through PILOT agreements, clearly it could be receiving much more revenue if these businesses were on the tax roll. Maybe the state will eventually reverse course and give the school district the financial aid it deserves, but nothing is guaranteed when it comes to school aid. I also have issues with some of McCarthy’s priorities for this year, which I think lack vision. He wants to save the city money by implementing a new recycling program and curb crime by getting harder on corner stores that encourage drug dealing and nefarious activities. I don’t think these are bad ideas, but I also don’t think they will do much in terms of solving the longstanding problems of ordinary residents. If you want to reduce crime, you need to better educate the populace and get more police offi cers on the streets. If you want to save money, you need to cut wasteful spending and feasibly consolidate what you can. But to McCarthy’s credit, the city has recently gotten Metroplex, along with the city’s land bank, on board in a small effort to help revitalize the Eastern Avenue neighborhood by demolishing some dilapidated buildings. Granted, these buildings border a commercial area, but it will ultimately be beneficial to the neighborhood. It’s these types of initiatives that can help turn the city around and that should continue to be promoted. It would be even more encouraging if the city could come to an outof-court settlement with American Tax Funding over the hundreds of disputed tax liens. With the chance to fi nally put ATF in the rearview mirror, the city should do whatever it can, within reason, to settle this ongoing quarrel. For the sake of property owners caught in the middle and future projects that seek to demolish uninhabitable buildings or revitalize and sell foreclosed homes, something needs to be done. This potential settlement with ATF could very well bolster the city’s Home Ownership Made Easy project. McCarthy is taking advantage of the bright minds at Union College to develop a business and marketing plan for improving HOME. This is the kind of out-of-the-box and innovative idea that Schenectady needs going forward. It is by far the best initiative he proposed in his speech. Most of McCarthy’s democratic allies on the City Council praised him for his “creative solutions to long-standing problems,” but I would advise them to be cautious. Solutions actually solve problems, and it’s a little premature to deem any initiatives enacted by Mc-Carthy as successful, considering that Schenectady’s problems with crime, poverty and blight are still prevalent. Overall, McCarthy did his usual political grandstanding, but he also showed that he has some constructive ideas to help turn around neighborhoods and improve the lives of residents. I encourage him to keep being resourceful and to seek the counsel of his constituents and community leaders.
Creative accounting, doesn't that pretty much describe our financial agreements with the county?
EXACTLY! A measly $80,000 City increase over 8 years is a big DEM working together accomplishment. McCheese vows to close businesses? What a joke. Business after business (including the last store Downtown Rudick's) are already closing. The problem is not the little corner bodega. It's in City Hall and the County Building where they keep picking over the carcasses of the taxpayers. The City housing sales are a complete flop so the City Hall crew has moved on to a new "plan". Where are the house sales McCheese?
Sch'dy code enforcers may handle single-cigarette sale violations Tuesday, March 18, 2014 By Kathleen Moore (Contact) Gazette Reporter Text Size: A | A
SCHENECTADY — Code enforcers would handle violations of a law banning single-cigarette sales, the Schenectady City Council learned Monday.
Council members were surprised; discussion had focused for the past month on whether enforcing cigarette laws was an appropriate task for over-worked police.
They decided to go ahead with the ban after learning that code enforcers would be involved, but they weren’t happy about being told at the last minute.
“That is not how it was explained [before],” Councilwoman Marion Porterfield said. “It was explained that the police would be enforcing it.”
Corporation Counsel John Polster said that could happen too.
“Both would be able to enforce it,” he said. “Today it might be the police, tomorrow code enforcement.”
But he added that the goal is to use “loosie” sales to shut down problem businesses through code violations. The city’s nuisance ordinance allows it to pull a business’ certificate of use if it commits a certain number of code violations. With the new ban, every sale of single cigarettes would count toward the number needed to close the business, Polster said.
“This could be used to cancel someone’s certificate of use,” he said. “This will become one more nail in the coffin.”
Councilman Ed Kosiur said the county is also enforcing state law, which bans such sales, through undercover stings. Some youth have been hired to try to buy single cigarettes, which net two charges against the business: selling singles and selling to under-age buyers.
“The more eyes we have on this, the better,” Kosiur said, calling it “one of the number 1 issues” with problem businesses.
One business in Schenectady recently lost its lottery license after the fourth time a worker sold loosies to children, Kosiur said.
“Quite honestly, I don’t know why they’re selling them. It’s illegal,” he said.
Other council members said the city should work with the county on the stings, rather than duplicating its efforts. Then the city could use the results to charge a business with being a nuisance, while the county takes its own actions, they said.
But Polster said he thought the law would be enforced through code sweeps.
The council agreed informally to pass the ban, which makes the practice against city code. It’s already a violation of federal and state law.
They tax cigarettes so they are virtually unaffordable for the poor, and now are going to spend tens of thousands of dollars enforcing the "loosie" sales, which was a direct result of the high tax on tobacco. Another great NYS policy. Don't buy a loosie cigarette at a neighborhood market, instead drink an oversized margarita at the tax exempt Bombers Burrito.
Councilman Ed Kosiur said the county is also enforcing state law, which bans such sales, through undercover stings. Some youth have been hired to try to buy single cigarettes, which net two charges against the business: selling singles and selling to under-age buyers.
They hire youth to do undercover stings Why don't they use their own kids for free?
Single cigarette sales are a symptom of urban decay, not a cause. I wish to God these fools would quit persecuting people for the 'crime' of being poor. You can buy one cigarette from money you get from returning a few bottles, or from change picked up off the street. Only rich people should have cigarettes? Just like only relatively wealthy people can use the drugs they cruise Albany Street to buy, if the residents use drugs they are dirt, but the people who buy from them are tragic victims if they have money. I mentioned before, a certain NFP that I pass by, the girls always have cigarettes. Is it bad sometimes to sell cigarettes to minors, but if you work for aNFP you can allow smoking by minors, and don't those girls have better uses for their money anyway? I don't like to see a proliferation of shady businesses, but you know something? Back in the day, when Schenectady was still thriving, Albany Street had just as many businesses that weren't exactly on the up-and-up, in fact they probably had more. Quit making it so hard for anyone who isn't connected to run a legit business or actually buy a house and live here, and the illegitimate businesses will get squeezed out for the most part, at least down to a more manageable level.
WOW....too bad they didn't enforce these laws back in the day when gambling was the money maker!!!
As far as loosies........it will be like every other illegal sale. They are only going to push it into the back alley...so to say.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I can see code violations on any number of vacant houses in my neighborhood. Some of them are bank owned, one of them is involved with BoA and the bank won't allow the poor owner, who was reassigned out of the area, to get out from under it via short sale. Send the code enforcers up here, I could keep them busy for a year. I would not send anyone unfamiliar with the area, or shall we say inexperienced with the underclass, into some of these businesses to start ordering people around. Someone could get hurt. Police have radios, guns, training, and backup, nobody is going to give them too much trouble over a cigarette, but code enforcers? Watch out! BTW, it appeared, after the last "sweep" in my neighborhood, that some people were able to avoid any ticketing for glaring violations.
I can see code violations on any number of vacant houses in my neighborhood. Some of them are bank owned, one of them is involved with BoA and the bank won't allow the poor owner, who was reassigned out of the area, to get out from under it via short sale. Send the code enforcers up here, I could keep them busy for a year. I would not send anyone unfamiliar with the area, or shall we say inexperienced with the underclass, into some of these businesses to start ordering people around. Someone could get hurt. Police have radios, guns, training, and backup, nobody is going to give them too much trouble over a cigarette, but code enforcers? Watch out! BTW, it appeared, after the last "sweep" in my neighborhood, that some people were able to avoid any ticketing for glaring violations.
not to worry....again..........they just won't be sold 'out in the open'.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Logged
EXACTLY! A measly $80,000 City increase over 8 years is a big DEM working together accomplishment. McCheese vows to close businesses? What a joke. Business after
Why don't they use their own kids for free?
