I think that it is time to start attending those school budget meetings. The folks in Rotterdam should start holding the school districts responsible for our tax dollar. It seems that no one really watches what they are doing with our money. But I think that the pay scale and benefits for the teachers are very high.
I think that it is time to start attending those school budget meetings. The folks in Rotterdam should start holding the school districts responsible for our tax dollar. It seems that no one really watches what they are doing with our money. But I think that the pay scale and benefits for the teachers are very high.
Yes, but this is also partially the teachers contracts, a necessity which is worked out through union negotiations, years at a time and at a board meeting has now way of being changed.
BK don't you mean the teachers union holding the school district hostage during their contract negotiations with the school board. The union always will tell the school board that if the teachers union doesn't get what they want they'll strike and our kids will be the ones to suffer. There has to be a cap on the teachers salaries and benefits as the residents of the school districts can't afford these large tax increases every year. The school tax, property tax, price of gas, price of food, clothes, and your National Grid bill all keep going up faster than the residents salaries are rising and each year we have less and less money to pay our bills. Sooner or later we'll be paying more than we make and we'll all be bankrupt.
As depressing as it sounds Shadow, that does seem to be the direction we are heading for. I do believe, that in part, the unions, such as the teacher's union, are notoriuos for holding all of us taxpayers hostage. And the teachers use the backs of our children to achieve their goals. Ya know what I say? Let the damn teachers strike. How long do you think that will last? First they will get bad press. Second, they aren't about to give up such a cushy job as a teacher. I mean really now!! Where else can you work, sexually molest a student, and be suspended with full pay and benefits? Oh that's right....as a politician! Or perhaps a cop!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
GOP party chair got facts wrong about Rotterdam reval
A Sept. 9 letter by Thomas D. Buchanan deals with the Rotterdam revaluation. One would think that as chairman of the county Republican Party, and as a practicing attorney, he would have the knowledge and ability to report the facts correctly. His letter stated, “while taxpayers were no doubt relieved that a Republican majority opposed to re-evaluation took power in 2005, the process voted in 2004 had already been adopted, and took three years to complete at a cost of nearly $1 million.” Let’s set the record straight: The official resolution to start the re-val was Resolution #253-05, adopted in 2005. At that time, the majority on the town council was Republican. The cost of the contract for the revaluation was $752,500, not $1 million. Mr. Buchanan goes on to say that in 2004, Bill Cook was chairman of the Rotterdam Democratic Party. Wrong again. The chairman was Paul Chevalier. Was this simply another mistake or a political shot at Bill Cook, who just happened to be a candidate for the Rotterdam supervisor’s position? Mr. Buchanan states that Supervisor Steve Tommasone had the foresight to adopt for every homeowner a homestead exemption on the town tax portion of the tax bill.” As I understand it at the present time, the town has not adopted the homestead option. The action taken by the town only provides the school districts who had to levy taxes and adopt a tax rate for their September tax billing, the option to choose. The letter further indicates taxes went up, but does not mention that taxes for other residents went down. What we now have in the town is a system of taxation where all residents pay their fair share. JOHN PAOLINO Rotterdam The writer is finance director for the city of Schenectady and former Democratic supervisor for Rotterdam.
It looks like the residents of Rotterdam really got suckered in with the reassessment. While I do believe that our assessments should have been reevaluated over the years, this recent re-evaluation by GAR [Associates] is just too high and is bordering on the ludicrous. And why didn’t Mohonasen — greedy Mohonasen — adopt the homestead exemption? Why are the residents being taxed the same as commercial property? I do not live at Wal-Mart; I live in a home and should be charged a lesser residential tax. Maybe Mohonasen’s school budget will have to be voted down next year. S. M. RUDESHEIM Rotterdam
It doesn't matter who voted for the re-val....bottom line is we were in the dark-ages and becoming stagnant.....stagnation=death/decay......we need to move forward, spiff up the town, get infrastructure etc.....if it looks old and decrepit then someone must not care.....if it looks like no one cares then we cant count on the (I'm going to say it) predators/theives/gangs/street scum etc will 'take territory'........
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
What Mr Paolino forgot to mention was that he was instrumental in getting the money allocated so that GAR could do the reval in the first place. The Reps were left with the option of trying to break the contract or proceed with what Paolino and the Dem controlled Town Board had started. The Town Board elected to let the reval continue rather than seek to break the contract through the court system. After starting this mess in Rotterdam Mr Paolina left as Town Supervisor and took a very lucrative job with the city of Schenectady and left the Town of Rotterdam holding the proverbial bag.
The Gazette managed to print this article twice. Yesterday and today.
Quoted Text
Rotterdam GOP chair got his facts wrong on revaluation
A Sept. 9 letter by Thomas D. Buchanan deals with the Rotterdam revaluation. One would think that as chairman of the county Republican Party, and as a practicing attorney, he would have the knowledge and ability to report the facts correctly. His letter stated, “while taxpayers were no doubt relieved that a Republican majority opposed to re-evaluation took power in 2005, the process voted in 2004 had already been adopted, and took three years to complete at a cost of nearly $1 million.” Let’s set the record straight: The official resolution to start the reval was Resolution 253-05, adopted in 2005. At that time, the majority on the town council was Republican. The cost of the contract for the revaluation was $752,500, not $1 million. Mr. Buchanan goes on to say that in 2004, Bill Cook was chairman of the Rotterdam Democratic Party. Wrong again. The chairman was Paul Chevalier. Was this simply another mistake or a political shot at Bill Cook, who just happened to be a candidate for the Rotterdam supervisor’s position? Mr. Buchanan states that Supervisor Steve Tommasone “had the foresight to adopt for every homeowner a homestead exemption on the town tax portion of the tax bill.” As I understand it at the present time, the town has positioned itself to but has not adopted the homestead option. The action taken by the town only provides itself and the school districts, which had to levy taxes and adopt a tax rate for their September tax billing, the option to choose. The letter further indicates taxes went up, but does not mention that taxes for other residents went down. What we now have in the town is a system of taxation where all residents pay their fair share. JOHN PAOLINO Rotterdam The writer is the former Democratic supervisor of Rotterdam.
What Mr Paolino forgot to mention was that he was instrumental in getting the money allocated so that GAR could do the reval in the first place. The Reps were left with the option of trying to break the contract or proceed with what Paolino and the Dem controlled Town Board had started. The Town Board elected to let the reval continue rather than seek to break the contract through the court system. After starting this mess in Rotterdam Mr Paolina left as Town Supervisor and took a very lucrative job with the city of Schenectady and left the Town of Rotterdam holding the proverbial bag.
...And that as EXACTLY what happened. If anyone has an issue with the increase in their taxes, fair or not, just try to take it up with Johnny. Oh, that's right...he jumped ship! But you nailed this one shadow!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I havre a very good memory and I remember for a long time even though our politicians seem to think that they can tell us what ever they want and we're going to believe them.
It is this constant bantering back and forth with these political parties that is rediculous. The dirty politics, the lies, the motives, the special interest groups...it is endless. Just when ya think ya have someone good in office, the opposing party starts it's dimwitted mudslinging that the sheeple believe, and the good ones are voted out! Sad to say, but the 'sheeple' are just as self serving as it's politicians. As long as the sheeple are getting handouts...FOR NOTHING...the self serving politicians will continue to be voted in!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
ROTTERDAM Timing led to tax rate confusion Assumption by assessment firm cited in discrepancies BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com
Bad timing and conflicting information appear to lie at the center of discrepancies between real and projected tax rates in the Mohonasen School District, which created an uproar among Rotterdam residents who saw dramatic increases in their tax bills this year, officials said. Residents blame the town’s recently completed reassessment for the tax hikes and point an accusing finger at GAR Associates, which did the work. GAR mailed out assessment disclosure notices prior to March 1 that estimated Mohonasen school district residents would pay about $8.89 per $1,000 of assessed property value. They were actually billed $14.64 per $1,000. Rotterdam paid GAR, a private appraisal fi rm, $752,000 to conduct the revaluation. Geoffrey Glock, spokesman for the state Office of Real Property Services, said GAR mailed out notices based on the assumption Mohonasen would adopt a homestead rate for taxpayers. Instead, the school board decided in March against the option, which would have set different tax rates for residential and commercial properties. “So that’s why there was a difference on the assessment disclosure notices and the tax bills,” Glock said. “GAR made the assumption that Mohonasen would use the homestead option, and that’s not what happened. It had to send out its disclosure notices at least 60 days prior to tentative roll date, which is March 1.” Mohonasen school Superintendent Kathleen Spring said district officials were not involved in the preparation of GAR’s disclosure notices. She said Mohonasen mailed its own notices to district residents and held public hearings prior to the May school budget vote, notices that estimated the tax rate would be approximately $14.30 per $1,000 assessed value. Voters approved a $1.5 million spending increase in Mohonasen’s operating budget, which boosted the tax levy of about 4.25 percent. “I don’t think people calculated what $14.30 per $1,000 would mean versus the other statement, which was $8 per $1,000,” Spring said. Conversely, GAR’s assessment disclosure notices for the Schalmont Central School District accurately reflected tax rates district residents would pay, said Superintendent Valerie Kelsey. GAR based its estimates on the assumption Schalmont would adopt the homestead rate, which it did. The district adopted tax rates of $17.22 per $1,000 for residential properties and $20.05 per $1,000 for commercial properties. Schalmont had to adopt a homestead rate prior to May 1, when the final assessment roll came out. Mohonasen officials had hoped to help district residents by seeking permission from the county Legislature to offer installments payments. District residents must now pay one lump sum by Oct. 1. Spring said she believed the county Legislature had to enact the legislation first, and she sent the county a letter dated last Friday asking for help. LAW CHANGED However, she learned Wednesday only the school district has that power under state law. County Attorney Chris Gardner said his review of state legislation showed a school board has to adopt an pay-installment option by a two-thirds vote prior to the levy of taxes. He said it is too late for Mohonasen to vote on the plan for this year’s taxes, but the board can do it for the future. Spring said she plans to discuss the issue with her board. Meanwhile, she has written to state offi - cials seeking their assistance. “The law is not an option anymore and there is not much we can do. I have to hope, I have to try asking legislators for help. I feel badly for the residents,” she said. Rotterdam Supervisor Steven Tommasone supported Spring’s request with an accompanying letter, and county Legislator Joseph Suhrada, R-Rotterdam, issued a news release, both last Friday, asking the county to call a special meeting on the issue. Suhrada on Wednesday changed his stance when he learned the county could not enact paymentinstallment legislation for school districts but could do so for towns. He said the county Legislature should allow towns to offer installment payments for their upcoming town taxes. Gardner said the Legislature would consider the legislation if all the towns made the request. He said once the legislation is passed, all the towns have to adopt installment plans. He said payment of taxes in this manner could seriously affect a town’s finances. Schenectady County towns currently receive their taxes in a lump sum and they budget accordingly, he said. “Apparently Mr. Suhrada and Mr. Tommasone did not do their homework. It’s always good to do the legal research first and the press release later,” Gardner said.
“Apparently Mr. Suhrada and Mr. Tommasone did not do their homework. It’s always good to do the legal research first and the press release later,” Gardner said.
Oh Mr. Gardner, you must mean the way Susan Savage and Ed Kosiur did before they proposed their new sex offender law! Where do they ever get these people from? Geezzzz!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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