TOWN OF SALINA -- When the Onondaga County Legislature approved the County budget on Tuesday, the amount of money that would be collected in property taxes, nearly $160 million did not equal the amount of money the county pays for state mandated programs like Medicaid and the Pension Fund. So, according to County Executive Joanie Mahoney, every penny homeowners pay for the county property tax goes to Albany. Mahoney says she has no control over it.
"The State has to give us relief on the mandates. I don't know if people understand that right now every one of their property tax dollars go to fund State Government" says Mahoney.
Not only do Onondaga County property owners pay a state income tax, they also turn over their entire county property tax bill to Albany. Jim Koehler, who lives in the Town of Clay, says it's a situation that will affect his vote in the upcoming election.
"We're stuck with the problem that too few people in Albany are making choices that affect us out here and our representatives aren't doing their job..."
Town governments are also affected. Salina Town Supervisor Mark Nicotra says a significant portion of his town budget will go toward the State Pension Fund. He anticipated a 20 percent increase in pension payments, instead the Town was just billed for a 40 percent increase. Nicotra says he must find an additional $132,000.
"These state mandates at some point may bankrupt our town government, village government, county government." he said.
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