2% solution no panacea

[dtwarren]

No, currently the only budget that voters have a say is in school budgets.

[dtwarren]

I also see the 2% cap as a universal OK to raise all budgets 2% every year instead of trying to hold the line or lower taxes. The only good it does is to have a bargaining point when dealing with public union raises. Every new budget will be increased 2%.

How so, if the normal vote to adopt a budget is also what is required to exceed the 2% cap where is the bargaining point?

[mikenold]

How so, if the normal vote to adopt a budget is also what is required to exceed the 2% cap where is the bargaining point?

If you can only raise the budget by 2%, I don't ever see why the people would vote to raise it more, then the wages and benefits that the Unions always look to raise cannot cause the budget to rise more than 2%. I would argue that there isn't enough in the future budget to accommodate any raise in pay without a similar give back in benefits or employees paying more of their health care.

[dtwarren]

If you can only raise the budget by 2%, I don't ever see why the people would vote to raise it more, then the wages and benefits that the Unions always look to raise cannot cause the budget to rise more than 2%. I would argue that there isn't enough in the future budget to accommodate any raise in pay without a similar give back in benefits or employees paying more of their health care.

My point is you can raise it by more than 2% and with no more votes than is required to normally pass a budget so this is not a limitation and therefore provides no leverage.

[mikenold]

My point is you can raise it by more than 2% and with no more votes than is required to normally pass a budget so this is not a limitation and therefore provides no leverage.

I will use it anyway.

[mnb811]

What if all the state mandates cost more than 2% Which they most certainly will. Where does the county get the money then? Try doing this without raising other taxes and fees. Doesn't anyone realize the state basically said they weren't the problem but the counties and their property taxes are? Talk about passing the buck. What gives NYS who mandates all this BS the right to pawn it all off on the counties? Poloncarz can you answer this one???

[gorja]

Originally posted by dtwarren:
No, currently the only budget that voters have a say is in school budgets.

That just means more of the same in town government. The fab 5 in Lancaster usually vote unanimously for town budgets.

[WNYresident]

Ironic Dennis would say this seeing he was the supervisor of Cheektowaga.



I chatted with ted morton today. We need new blood running our town so we can lift the burden past/current town board members have placed on our residents. Most are part of it so they are not going to do anything to make any meaningful changes that we would see in our property taxes.

The current supervisor technically worked the system to get about $12,000 a month. Technically nothing was done wrong but it is too much. Period.

[300miles]

No, currently the only budget that voters have a say is in school budgets.

the article below says it's voters that approve it, not the board.

But it also brings up other loopholes - some pension expenses are excluded, and also that towns could get around the intent of the cap by raising home appraisals.

Localities can override the cap if more than 60 percent of voters approve. A number of costs are excluded from the cap, including certain pension expenses, which analysts say would boost a hypothetical cap of 2 percent this year to 3 percent growth.

The new law, though, places no restrictions on local community property re-evaluation procedures, which some critics say could be a loophole for local governments to water down the cap in the years ahead.

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/poli...icle487352.ece

[WNYresident]

the article below says it's voters that approve it, not the board.

But it also brings up other loopholes - some pension expenses are excluded, and also that towns could get around the intent of the cap by raising home appraisals.


http://www.buffalonews.com/city/poli...icle487352.ece

Otherwords It's all BS... just lip service.

[gorja]

Originally posted by 300miles:
the article below says it's voters that approve it, not the board.

But it also brings up other loopholes - some pension expenses are excluded, and also that towns could get around the intent of the cap by raising home appraisals.

In this article, it states

For local governments, the cap could be overridden by 60 percent of the governing body. So for a town board, which often has five members, three members can override it - still a simple majority.

http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/126...p-Help-Or-Hurt

[dtwarren]

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/poli...icle487352.ece

This article is specifically geared towards school districts where voters vote on the the budget in all except the big 5. City, town, county and village budgets are not voted on by the electors but are adopted by the legislative body.