County leader says no sales tax extender would mean big property tax hike
A vote at the capitol, could very well impact your bottom line.
“Everyone will be impacted.”
Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino says her county stands to lose 55 percent of its tax base if state lawmakers fail to renew the law that allows New York counties, villages and towns to collect an additional penny of sales tax.
Jimino says the money is used to cover costs for state mandated programs local municipalities have been forced to pay since the 1990's.
“This year is the first time in history they have not passed these sales tax extender bills before the end of the session,” Jimino said.
Has already crunched the numbers. She says the 11 million dollar loss in sales taxes would equate to huge cuts in services.
On the chopping block, 3.8 million dollars for sheriff's road patrol, 2 million dollars for senior services, which includes meals on wheels, and 1 million dollars for public safety.
The other option would directly impact homeowners in the name of property taxes.
“It would be a 20 percent property tax increase which of course we don’t want to do,” Jimino said.
Assemblyman John McDonald D-Cohoes says the assembly passed the extenders.
“Unfortunately the senate didn’t take up on the bill and that’s the reason were in this situation now,” McDonald said.
Extenders have been passed every two years for decades. The problem this year, McDonald says the assembly bill is tied to legislation that deals with mayoral control of New York City schools, which lawmakers can't agree on.
But he says it's not time for upstate to panic.
“Eventually it’ll be passed, I’m hoping by the end of this week,” McDonald said.
Assemblyman McDonald says the current sales tax extenders are good until November 30th, giving lawmakers ample time to act. The senate majority spokesperson says senators agreed on their version of the bill.
Both houses have to pass the same version of the legislation for it to pass into law.
