Giambra Four Year Plan: 25% Property Tax Increase

[steven]

Erie County Executive Joel Giambra unveiled his four year fiscal plan on primary night. It includes a large property tax increase for 2006 and 2007.

The property tax increase would be almost 50% over the next two years. According to the plan it's 25% in 2006 and 24% in 2007. "There is no avoiding the reality that the days of our property tax cut are over" said Giambra at his Tuesday evening press conference.

According to Giambra, a home assessed at $100,000 pays about $450 a year in county taxes. By 2007, the property owner would pay $700 a year.

In 2006 only, the county executive is calling for $45 million dollars in deficit financing.

The four year plan calls for the County to provide sheriff road patrol only on a chargeback basis.

Unions are being asked negotiate a new benefits package. Giambra's message is clear "if you want to keep your county job,if you want to have some hope for cost of living raises in the out years, you have to be our partner."

Fees would also be imposed on what Giambra calls "special extra services like boat launches and golf carts."

He's also calling for a 2% increase in the hotel bed tax.

ECMC would lose $13 million dollars in county funding.

Three new Medicaid Fraud Investigators would be added along with other positions in social services.

http://wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=31542

[forreason]

The increase per year on a house (assuming full value) assessed at $100,000 is about $130/ yr for the next 2 years. Remember the Erie County Executive and Legislature cut taxes drastically for many years and used up the reserves. If they would have just had a modest increase of 3-4% per year, all the exisitng problems would not be an issue. Some reforms are needed, but at the present time the budget is disfunctional.

[SolarEclipse]

We can only hope that with all the new county legislators, they'll institute a recall provision in the charter and get this joker out of here.

[colossus27]

Originally posted by steven
The property tax increase would be almost 50% over the next two years. According to the plan it's 25% in 2006 and 24% in 2007. "There is no avoiding the reality that the days of our property tax cut are over" said Giambra at his Tuesday evening press conference.

A point here...the increase over two years is NOT 49%, it's not 'almost 50%', despite being widely reported by the mathematically challenged nose miners that report news these days.

1 x 1.25 x 1.24 => 1.55

That's 55%, which is over 10% higher than the 'almost 50%', and don't think for a second the way this was announced wasn't on purpose.

The point that 3-4% increase per year does not address the root issue. The taxes, EVEN NOW, are too f'ing high already and were before the cuts began. The problem is the system, money will not fix it. Fire them all. Why is it that other counties in other states provide comparable services for less taxes? We know the answers, but nobody is asking the questions.

They are not representing you, and they are not serving any purpose other than their own empowerment.

[Stevenco]

What I really hate about Giambra is his evasiveness. He always tries to make things sound better than they are, like a salesman.
He didn't say RAISE property tax; he said restore it. And he said 25 per cent next year and 24 per cent the following year as if to imply a one per cent drop in the second year, instead of stating clearly, 25 per cent then ANOTHER 24. He minces words and plays with numbers. And yes, it's 1.25 TIMES 1.24 because it's not a twenty four percent raise on the current tax, but on the first year's hike. So to clarity, let's say your property tax is 100.00 a year (ahaha) . The first increase is to 125.00 a year, twenty four percent of THAT the following year makes 155.00.


Telemarketing is his real calling.

[buffy]

forreason said:

Some reforms are needed

"SOME" reform? SOME???

[Stevenco]

Originally posted by Stevenco
What I really hate about Giambra is his evasiveness. He always tries to make things sound better than they are, like a salesman.
He didn't say RAISE property tax; he said restore it. And he said 25 per cent next year and 24 per cent the following year as if to imply a one per cent drop in the second year, instead of stating clearly, 25 per cent then ANOTHER 24. He minces words and plays with numbers. And yes, it's 1.25 TIMES 1.24 because it's not a twenty four percent raise on the current tax, but on the first year's hike. So to clarity, let's say your property tax is 100.00 a year (ahaha) . The first increase is to 125.00 a year, twenty four percent of THAT the following year makes 155.00.


Telemarketing is his real calling.

Hi, Buffy.

[buffy]

hi stevenco sweetie

[tomac]

Originally posted by steven
Erie County Executive Joel Giambra unveiled his four year fiscal plan on primary night. It includes a large property tax increase for 2006 and 2007.
The property tax increase would be almost 50% over the next two years. According to the plan it's 25% in 2006 and 24% in 2007. "There is no avoiding the reality that the days of our property tax cut are over" said Giambra at his Tuesday evening press conference.
According to Giambra, a home assessed at $100,000 pays about $450 a year in county taxes. By 2007, the property owner would pay $700 a year.
In 2006 only, the county executive is calling for $45 million dollars in deficit financing.
The four year plan calls for the County to provide sheriff road patrol only on a chargeback basis.
Unions are being asked negotiate a new benefits package. Giambra's message is clear "if you want to keep your county job,if you want to have some hope for cost of living raises in the out years, you have to be our partner."
Fees would also be imposed on what Giambra calls "special extra services like boat launches and golf carts."
He's also calling for a 2% increase in the hotel bed tax.
ECMC would lose $13 million dollars in county funding.
Three new Medicaid Fraud Investigators would be added along with other positions in social services.
http://wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=31542

Did you you notice that when the Legislature voted and passed his budget proposals today, they included another $300,000 for still more furniture? This stuff will be for ECC, and yet there is unused stuff still in the bixes stored over at 45 Oak Street.
Is this guy stupid or does he think that WE are?