A proposed Local Law was recently clocked in by Erie County Legislature Majority Leader Tim Meyers that all Erie County residents should find troubling. The law, if passed, would ignore the voices of 33 municipalities within Erie County. As it currently stands, New York State requires the Erie County Legislature to authorize extending the 1% and 0.75% sales and compensating use tax. To extend that tax, there must be either a super majority vote of the legislature, or a majority vote that puts a referendum before voters. It has been this way for decades. This new proposed law would require only a simple majority vote to extend, or even increase the sales tax, and it removes the necessity of a referendum. The only reason this law was introduced was so that the Democrat controlled legislature, and the Erie County Executive will no longer need to work across the aisle. It’s a power grab. Requiring a super majority meant that my Republican colleagues and I could negotiate with the Administration and the majority caucus to realize savings elsewhere. Those negotiations produced a property tax levy cut and reducing borrowing, thereby saving millions in interest. Taxpayers win. With this local law, the taxpayers lose. It’s bad politics, bad governing, and it’s disturbing.
It should also trouble taxpayers that most of the majority caucus legislators represent at least part of the City of Buffalo. A 1977 municipal sales tax sharing agreement guarantees a portion of the sales tax goes to towns, villages and school districts. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown has already stated he believes the City of Buffalo should capture a greater share of that sales tax revenue. What is to prevent these legislators from agreeing to that? That means other communities would then receive less. This would impact hundreds of thousands of hard-working taxpayers. Businesses and residents in my district generate millions in sales tax revenue and should continue receiving a fair share of that revenue. Buffalo already receives a significant share of revenue.
When local laws are introduced with motivations that are clearly political and obviously aimed at acquiring more power at others’ expense, we all suffer. The law that has been in place for decades works for a reason. It takes into consideration all the communities in Erie County. Government is at its best when we realize we are a diverse region with different needs and expectations and work toward addressing all those concerns in a bi-partisan fashion. The high taxes imposed on New York State residents can make this a difficult place to live and work. That’s why my Republican colleagues and I in the legislature have actively worked to identify savings. We do that through negotiations. Unfortunately, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle seem more focused on going on some spending spree and silencing the majority of towns and villages in Erie County. That’s not only wrong, it’s dangerous. I encourage you to reach out to Legislators April Baskin, Tim Meyers, Jeanne Vinal, Howard Johnson, Michael Kooshoian, John Gilmour and John Bargnesi and let them know just how reckless this is. Their contact information is on our website, www.erie.gov Click on the Erie County Legislature link.
If you have any county related issue, contact my office art (716)681-2071 or email at Frank.Todaro@erie.gov
