Tags
amsterdam ny, amsterdam ny consolidation, amsterdam ny shared services, fairy dust, montgomery county ny
In a truly illustrative story of how twisted the local discourse on economics and taxes really is, you must read this story on the county fund balance being gutted by the supervisors:
“Everyone have fun right now because the party’s over,” he said of next year’s budget process. “I don’t know where the money’s coming from because we’re bare bones.”
The general consensus of the board appeared to be that although some jobs were saved, the overall cost heading into the future may be too great to overcome unless drastic measures are taken.
[snip]
Strevy said the budget passed Tuesday night is actually a disservice to taxpayers.
“It’s not totally Albany that is the problem, there are decisions we make in this room that cost money, too,” he said. “We’ve completely gutted the county of services the residents want at the expense of the 2 percent cap.”
Just to remind readers of this blog on how the Supervisors scolded the city administration on their proposed tax increase to balance the budget:
On behalf of myself and many of my colleagues in Montgomery County I would like to address the City of Amsterdam’s ill-advised proposed water rate increase for the 201 1-2012budget, whichis at best, a band-aid approach to a long term problem of un-sustainability created by a continued pattern of increased spending and decreasing revenues. In addition, it is an affront to every constituent in the City who approved a 3% tax cap and to the County and Towns who negotiated agreements in good faith withthe City to extend water and sewer services to the Townsonbehalf of the County’s residents and businesses. Outside users, which include some of the largest employers in theCounty, are already paying one and half times for these servicesand the message this sends to any existing and potential company or resident is one of indifference.In our opinion only, to many of us, it has the appearance that the City finds itself targeting the City’s water resources in order to balance thebudget; deferring the hard decisions to future Administrations andCouncils to the detriment of their constituents, already burdened by some of the highest property taxes in the nation. It is not our intent to question your administrative duties within the Cityof Amsterdam, but we will not apologize for the ill affects this decision would have on our constituencies.
To compare the actions of the Supervisors against their very own words directed at the city is nothing short but spectacular for its gall and cognitive dissonance and sheer audacity.
What the supervisors would have you believe is that for the city to challenge what is and what is not under a 3% tax cap is an affront to taxpayers. But when the supervisors signal their intent to totally gut services and likely blast through the 2% state mandated tax cap that is not an affront, but something for which they are wholly blameless– after all, they are “protecting the taxpayer”.
If you can read this story while retaining your wits, your constitution is hearty indeed.
Let’s call out the game for what it is: the supervisors chide the city as they do not want the towns to bear the burden. Hence, why the very same article posits consolidating police forces across the county: distribute the cost from the towns to the city.
I think it’s about time the city stopped playing softball with the towns and county around the nonsense of sharing services when the city stands to see its services decline and its costs escalate under that scenario. If you want police services in the towns, fund it yourselves. There, I said it.
Now, you may question how I definitively know that costs to the city will rise? I don’t: I made it up as I have no financial basis to make that argument. Likewise, the consolidation proponents make it up too — they have no financial basis or analysis either. But they have the preconceived notion of the “magic” of consolidation as a way to save money; hence it must be true. As the local media and political class wholeheartedly swallow this meme, the meme lumbers along unchallenged, yet another magical elixir for the city to swallow and then wonder why it never finds itself cured.
I really wanted to post a light-hearted post today on Thanksgiving but it’s hard when someone wants you to act the turkey.
And this exactly the game the supervisors play with the city. Perhaps ‘chicken’ is more apt the game being played; and I don’t think the city should blink or swerve.
Finally, the 2% property tax cap simply does not address the core issue in what drives increases to budgets — rising health care costs, rising pension costs and a downward economic cycle. But somehow, if we just consolidate regardless of the underlying structural and economic issues, it will all be OK — we’ll have lower taxes, better services and fresh cranberries.
Turkeys.
