Rotterdam increases water fee, adds new yard waste pickup fee

Thursday, February 27, 2014


By Justin Mason (Contact)
Gazette Reporter  






ROTTERDAM — The Town Board has adopted a brush pickup fee and increased the cost of service for all five of the town’s water districts.

The board narrowly approved a set of amendments to a pair of local laws Wednesday that will charge residents an annual fee of $50 for lawn and brush pickup, a service that was once provided free of charge. Residents will also see their flat fee for water service go from $25 to $75 a year.

Supervisor Harry Buffardi, Deputy Supervisor Wayne Calder — both Democrats — and Conservative board member Michael Viscusi voted in favor of the increases following a public hearing Wednesday. Republicans Joe Villano and Richard Larmour opposed the measure.

The new schedule of fees was devised during the board’s budget deliberations last fall. The increased fees were deemed necessary to compensate for the cost of brush pickup and to help fund infrastructure improvements in the town water districts, including the installation of a new wellhead on Rice Road.

Opposition to the increases arose after Villano and Larmour took office in January. Both argued the Buffardi administration was using the increased fees to help circumvent the state-imposed 2 percent property tax increase cap and give a number of town workers raises.

Buffardi defended the increases, stressing that the funds generated by them will be specifically dedicated toward defraying the cost of brush pickup and building new water infrastructure, respectively. He said residents can also opt out of the brush pickup fee and haul yard waste down to the town’s composting facility themselves.

Aint no big deal.  Water is CHEAP here in Rotterdam - and they've offered leaf/brush pickup for years, free.  It's about time we pay for the service we use!

ain't what ROTTENdamians are sayin'.

they are still bit@hin' about their raises!

are sayin' they won't forget come November.

that's what they say at the donut shop.

just sayin'

The "donut shop" is just a rumor mill / gossip center.  Reality is, we've got an excellent, abundant clean water supply in this town, and it's only fair that we pay a fair rate for the delivery of that product.

As for leaf/brush pickup service - just opt out if you don't want to pay the fee.  

As long as the money increase for the water districts are used to improve the infrastructure of said water districts I have no problem paying more.

Quoted from Shadow

As long as the money increase for the water districts are used to improve the infrastructure of said water districts I have no problem paying more.

yer kiddin' right?

I thought people paid taxes for these 'free services'? I guess my definition of 'free' and the politicians' definition are vastly different.

Quoted from rashadjohnson

I thought people paid taxes for these 'free services'? I guess my definition of 'free' and the politicians' definition are vastly different.

Great, someone else looking for entitlements.

The FACT is the town provides services and like any city, town, etc, these are SERVICES provide by our local governments and paid for by our TAXES.

Further, the FACT is that the dems are INDEED trying to around the tax cap by instituting fees.  In the town here, we know about the raises in the budget.  Well, excuse me, they should have eliminated those raises and used that "savings" to for the extra cost they claim is needed for yard waste.  It's just like in Schenectady  the dems insist on the tax exemptions for the millionaire political cronies so they come up with fees.

Note how Buffardi says these fees will be dedicated for certain services.

Well, what is to stop the invention of a snow plow fee which will be dedicated to the cost of plowing roads, then how about (like the dems in the city tried) a public safety fee and that would go to exclusively police costs.  Gee, how about a "street fee" dedicated to street sweeping.   Maybe an "infrastructure fee" based on lot with that will be dedicated to paying for pothole repair, repaving, etc.  Etc Etc.

TAXES are to be used to provide services and the dems MUST start living within their means instead of creating fees.  Fees are by IRS law NOT tax deductible.  

The dems keep the fat raises for themselves and violate the tax cap by creating fees.  Of course, the one member on these boards who is NOT a taxpayer WILL BE POSTING in this thread by praising this idea of the fees, claiming it's necessary and speaking how wonderful the town dem leaders are to make this town so wonderful.  Naurally, he never has nor never will pay taxes.

Hey.........i'm all in favor for EVERYONE paying their fair share.

But please don't give yourselves a substantial raise WITHOUT public input regarding their money....AND THEN.....rub salt in the taxpayers 'raise wound' with added fees!!!!

The folks in my sister's neighborhood all plan on opting out, and then hauling the waste to the brush dump themselves. I suggested a community compost bin also.

As far as the water goes, I'm not sure how to approach that myself, although talking to friends in other parts of the country, it does seem that water in Rotterdam is still a pretty good deal. I'm more irked by the fact that in reality the only reason for the fees increase is to give "pirate" Wayne and some other cronies pay raises. In my mind that's criminal. JMHO

"Here come da fees!!!!" its just a toe in the door for more fees...

What can we expect from Buffy dem vampire?

Quoted from mikechristine1

What can we expect from Buffy dem vampire?

Buffy da vampire

Actually I guess it's the "working together works."

Dems in the town and city working together to work to screw the homeowners and reward their cronies.