2% solution no panacea

[dtwarren]

From: http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article478024.ece

[quote]
Provisions also exist to allow government and school districts to exceed the tax cap entirely -- if 60 percent or more of the people who adopt the budget agree to exceed the 2 percent limit.

[\quote]

For a legislative body of 5 people this will need 3 votes
For a legislative body of three people (I.e. West Seneca) this would need 2 votes

The same number of votes to adopt a budget.


Just more smoke and mirrors.

[mikenold]

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%.

[WNYresident]

The only true solution is CUTS..

Plus if Cuomo is ponderng running for a higher office in 2012, the man has wasted our time.

[300miles]

Every new budget will be increased 2%.

Exactly. There would be no effort to cut, or keep costs even. They will just shoot for 2% every year.

[WNYresident]

And their excuse. We are under the cost of inflation, we are under the max allowed increase.. so the "NYS government" gets to shove it up our kester a little at a time versus a lot. Either way your getting screwed...

[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.

[WNYresident]

Cuomo signs bill on family's front law

LANCASTER, N.Y. (WIVB) - Governor Andrew Cuomo is in western New York Tuesday, drumming up support for his new property tax cap. This comes as rumors swirl that he could be a potential running mate for President Obama in 2012.
It wasn’t your average day on Schiffler Court in Lancaster. The governor wanted an average family that would benefit from the property tax cap, and to find it he came to a cul de sac off William Street.

Read the full story

[WNYresident]

So what is the point.. Your home taxes will be 20% higher in less than 10 years.

[DomesticatedFeminist]

So what is the point.. Your home taxes will be 20% higher in less than 10 years.

It's the same as the gay marriage bill.. it makes him look good.

[WNYresident]

It's the same as the gay marriage bill.. it makes him look good.

No it doesn't. Net gain for the non-government laborer/non-government ran business owner is still ever rising taxes..

The global economy is going to eat WNY/NYS for lunch if our "elected" brain trust stops worrying about lining their pockets versus what our community needs.

[Dougles]

So what is the point.. Your home taxes will be 20% higher in less than 10 years.

It's closer to 22%... since it compounds...

But how oftern over the last 10 years has your taxes increased by more than 2%?

[300miles]

But how oftern over the last 10 years has your taxes increased by more than 2%?

Good question.

So what is the point.. Your home taxes will be 20% higher in less than 10 years.

There is another piece of it that could make it less. It's capped at 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. Inflation is rarely less than 2%, but it does get that low during recessions (like 2009 & 2010 I think) But for the most part, we can count on 2%. I wonder how it would work if there was deflation?