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Habitual violators facing bigger fines in Sch'dy
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
By Kathleen Moore (Contact)
Gazette Reporter

SCHENECTADY — The Schenectady City Council is cracking down on owners who don’t take care of their property.
Those who are convicted of one code violation and then commit another will be hit by a higher fine even if the violation is at a different building or is committed many years later, the council decided in a unanimous vote at Monday’s meeting.
Previously, fines only increased if a second violation occurred within 18 months at the same address. But many of the city’s worst offenders own a dozen or more rental properties throughout the city that have been cited for code violations. Under the old rules, they could avoid higher fees despite repeated violations because the incidents were at separate buildings.
The new rules apply for all city codes, including the housing code, building code and fire code.
Recently, the council also hiked fees for contractors who are caught working without a permit.
“Some of it is to reflect our costs, and to create some disincentive,” said Acting Mayor Gary McCarthy. “It’s all part of fine-tuning of the enforcement. We want higher compliance. We want people to take pride in [their property] and maintain it in a manner that not only adds value to the property but to the neighborhood.”....................>>>>............................>>>>.................http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2011/sep/13/0913habitual-violators/

Does that include maintaining City property? lol. So what if struggling homeowners, who can't sell, can't afford to properly maintain their properties. Acting McCarthy never saw a tax he didn't want to hike and is now lying about creating 3,500 private sector jobs.

If this "Actor"was on stage, he'd be boo'ed off faster than American Idol contestants

Well, there goes Popilizio's retirement fund. Kind of like getting blood from a stone.

Whew.  When I saw the heading on this, I thought the Code Enforcers in Rotterdam were going to finally come out of their tax-funded mancaves and start working.  Glad they won't now be burdened with the work they're paid to do.

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If this "Actor"was on stage, he'd be boo'ed off faster than American Idol contestants

He would get past the audition-no? Acting McCarthy says he has created more jobs than TJ Hooker, Gary Hughes and Barack Obama COMBINED! Where are the jobs Gary?

Keep the DEM implosion going! We want more nit wit fees and taxes! If the City created 3,500 new jobs how come unemployment is the highest in the area?

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We want people to take pride in [their property] and maintain it in a manner that not only adds value to the property but to the neighborhood.”

How do you MAKE folks take pride in anything....let alone their properties. This is all bullcrap! mccarthy is threatening and forcing folks to 'keep their properties up to code' or they will be 'punished'!!! And THAT is the way it should have truthfully been worded. Cause you can't MAKE folks do something that they don't think or do inherently.

I'm not saying I don't agree.....just saying that the wording should have been truthful.............just sayin'.

If we made it easier (lower taxes) for people who want to live here to do so, a lot of these problems would be alleviated because we would have a higher quality resident. The family that my neighborhood has just lost to Burnt Hills kept their home immaculate. They can't even sell that house as they move to a bigger one.
Increasing the fines on those who don't pay them anyway is just a paper exercise, just as the proposed solution to the dog problem on Hamilton Hill.