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State may cut some revenue to villages and towns, which could cost county government $230,000

By Howard B. Owens

A proposal to reduce funding from the state for towns and villages, known as AIM (Aid and Incentives for Municipalities) could wind up as just another cost burden for Genesee County, County Manager Jay Gsell told the Ways and Means Committee at its meeting Wednesday.

If the funding cut goes through, the County could make up the $230,000 in difference for towns and villages from its own revenue.

Gsell said the governor’s office is being somewhat disingenuous about how cuts are being presented to municipalities.

What the state says it will do and what it actually does will be two different things, Gsell suggested.

The governor’s office is proposing a new sales tax on products sold digitally, an e-commerce tax, and that new revenue stream -- the theory goes -- will allow counties to share a portion of sales tax with municipalities.

Genesee County is one of the few counties in the state that currently shares sales tax but the proposal by the governor would mandate an obligation, perhaps above current revenue sharing, and force the rest of the counties to start sharing sales tax.

But there’s no guarantee New York will be successful in instituting an e-commerce tax – something state officials have sought for years, and it would certainly be difficult, Gsell said, to institute before the state’s new fiscal year starts April 1.

That could leave the counties, including Genesee County, with another unfunded mandate.

Under the governor's budget proposal, only municipalities that use a lower percentage of AIM for their annual budget would have funding cut. If that holds, neither the Village of Le Roy nor the City of Batavia, which receives more than $1 million in AIM funding, would have that funding cut.

The Legislature will be asked to vote on a resolution opposing the proposed cut to AIM.

John Roach

Hey, you elect liberal Democrats and this is what happens. The Governor needs our money for all his "free" stuff he wants to give out.

Feb 21, 2019, 5:28am Permalink
david spaulding

When you scroll down you'll see prince Andrew is going to ante up over $600,000 for another hanger at Hen's airport. Corporate tycoons need another new garage for the Lear.

Feb 20, 2019, 9:10pm Permalink
Daniel Norstrand

My thoughts exactly David. They aren't bashful asking for pet projects and then its chicken little time when chickens come home to roost.

Feb 21, 2019, 9:29am Permalink
Tim Miller

So here's what the county should do... Declare an emergency in the county, therefore being able to redirect funds from where they were budgeted to other areas. Don't forget to have folks chanting "DON'T BUILD THAT HANGAR" repeatedly...incessantly.

OK - that was joke - to some of you a very bad one. But seriously - it is perplexing that within days:
- a grant of $656k can be announced for a building that many feel is unnecessary; and
- an announcement of "hey - we can't give you what we've usually given you...even though it is half what we just gave you for that building"

I hope the county and municipalities are not harmed too badly by the cutbacks.

----
3 downvotes? You mean there are 3 Batavian readers who hope the county and municipalities ARE harmed badly by the cutbacks? You masochists!

Feb 22, 2019, 3:41pm Permalink
Rich Richmond

No, Mexico has melted down all their hangers into grappling hooks. The illegal aliens can get free everything here in New York when they arrive and the taxpayers will be paying for it, compliments of liberal NY Politicians.

Feb 21, 2019, 4:40pm Permalink
david spaulding

Rich, I'm looking to get Free everything too, how's that work? Clue me in to where I can sign up for Free anything . I'm not proud anymore. I will travel to Buffalo if necessary.... Thanks

Feb 21, 2019, 6:30pm Permalink
david spaulding

Rich, thanks for taking the time to respond to my request.
You asked me to let you know how I did and here it is.
In order to get "free everything" a person must provide information
and proof of this information. For example a photo ID, naturalization cert.,
hospital/doctor records, driver's license, U.S. passport and adoption papers.
In cases where those documents can not be produced an applicant must
produce a valid S.S. card and a birth certificate among several other forms of proof. These documents are difficult to obtain by a natural born citizen much less an illegal alien.
If you are in fact correct with your statement, I don't see happening in
Erie Co., Genesee Co. maybe.

Feb 22, 2019, 3:49pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

David, did you know that undocumented workers pay an estimated $11.64 billion in state and local taxes?

That's from the right-wing Heritage Foundation.

Other estimates put their tax contribution nationally at $23 billion.

The Koch-brother funded, conservative Cato Institute puts the taxpayer cost of undocumented residents at $3.3 to $15.6 billion.

That doesn't include the economic impact of all the additional jobs created by the economic impact of those additional residents in the country.

Kind of interesting, huh?

Feb 22, 2019, 9:49pm Permalink
david spaulding

I don't dispute what you're saying Howard.
When doing the math, they pay their own way.
I'm having a hard time believing "illegal aliens" are
getting "free everything". I see the statement made often.
I keep trying to get who makes the statement to show me how
it's done, you know, convince me. I believe it's blowing off steam,
not to be taken seriously.

Feb 22, 2019, 10:20pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

David, did you know that there's legitimate concern about social security going bankrupt and that undocumented workers pay billions into the social security system that they will never collect? I think that's a little known fact.

They also pay into Medicare and pay unemployment insurance -- other social services they will never benefit from.

Feb 22, 2019, 10:55pm Permalink

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