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SCHENECTADY
City taxes high, but not at top of statewide list
Owner of average home pays $4,887 in total taxes
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter

Schenectady is not at the top of the highest-taxed lists.
    In an analysis fraught with applesto-oranges comparisons, Binghamton has the highest combined tax rate of city, county and school taxes, according to a report by the Empire Center for New York State Policy.
    But in actual dollars paid by the average property owner, New Rochelle in Westchester County heads the list with an estimated $15,153 bill, according to the Empire Center.
    That list isn’t perfect — it bases the average home assessment on the average sale price of homes in 2010, which is often different from their actual assessment. Tax bills are based on assessment.
    A comparison by equalized tax rate, issued by the Capital District Regional Planning Commission, showed Schenectady as having the highest tax rate in the Capital Region. Overall for the state, it’s No. 23 out of 75 cities.
In dollars, after adding in the city’s unusual fees, Schenectady is No. 18 on the Empire Center for New York State Policy list.
But that doesn’t make it any easier to pay the city’s taxes, Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy said.
“The reality is no matter where you live in New York state, property taxes are too high,” he said. “We’re not as bad as some people would think, and we’re not as good as I’d like.”
    A homeowner in Schenectady with the average house, assessed at $110,800, pays $4,107.60 in taxes. The owner also pays roughly $779 in garbage, sewer and water taxes, because the average house has 1.5 baths. (Sewer and water rates are based partly on the number of fi xtures in the house.)
    That gives a grand total of $4,887 for city, county and school bills.
    Across the river in Albany, the average homeowner with a $150,000 house pays $5,460 in taxes. That’s before sewer and water costs, which are metered.
    However, Albany doesn’t release an average assessment for houses in the city, instead calculating averages for each of its 11 neighborhoods. Pine Hills has a $170,000 average. Arbor Hill has a $50,000 average. The Assessment and Taxation Department recommended using $150,000 as a city-wide fi gure.
    Throw in the suburbs and the comparison gets even more muddied. Many suburbs don’t offer garbage pickup, and some neighborhoods don’t have sewer infrastructure, requiring the owners to pay for and maintain septic systems. Since any town might have both sewer and septic in various areas, it’s hard to calculate those costs.
    And then there’s the volunteer fire departments, which in some areas can charge a special tax on the neighborhood’s houses, while others ask for donations.
    In the cities, fi re departments are generally included in the city tax bill.
    Some small towns — like Duanesburg — also don’t have a police force, relying on state troopers, county sheriff’s deputies and a volunteer ambulance company.
    McCarthy touts the city’s services monthly at citywide open houses intended to help sell homes. He argues that although the tax rate is lower in suburbs — it’s about 37 percent lower in Niskayuna — the city offers more for its tax.
    “People have to look at the overall quality of life and delivery of services,” he said, noting that Schenectady’s tax includes fi refi ghters and paramedics who respond within two minutes. School offi - cials note that Schenectady’s larger schools can offer more electives, particularly at the high school.
    “People are very appreciative of that quality of service,” McCarthy said.
    City officials also argue that city tax rates are strongly linked to the unrestricted state aid each city receives. That aid is separate from money offered for transportation, border security and other specifi c costs.
    Schenectady Budget Analyst Jason Cuthbert runs a yearly analysis of the unrestricted state aid given to Schenectady and other, similarly-sized cities.
    Currently, Schenectady gets $11.2 million, while Utica gets $16.1 million. Other cities similar to Schenectady get a wide range of aid, from Niagara Fall’s $17.8 million to Binghamton’s $9.2 million ........................>>>>........................>>>>..............................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00101&AppName=1

Id rather the police and firemen respond on an average of 4 minutes and pay less tax.  If they are responding in 2 minutes then they dont have enough to do.  

Schenectady is the highest tax in the Capital Region and the 18th in the entire state. Factor into that senario a poor school system (even WITH the $160 million school budget), pit bulls, deteriorating neighborhoods.....

Fact is, Schenectady has really nothing to offer to hard-working families and those are the folks you WANT living in your City.  

Now let's find out which County/City has the most generous welfare benefits and Schenectady would be #1.

This is one of the most inconstant articles to date coming out of the gazette. Reading it is like walking through a revolving door. Moore makes claims then retracts it with some blubberish bullcrap.

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        McCarthy touts the city’s services monthly at citywide open houses intended to help sell homes. He argues that although the tax rate is lower in suburbs — it’s about 37 percent lower in Niskayuna — the city offers more for its tax.

    “People have to look at the overall quality of life and delivery of services,” he said, noting that Schenectady’s tax includes fi refi ghters and paramedics who respond within two minutes. School officials note that Schenectady’s larger schools can offer more electives, particularly at the high school.

    “People are very appreciative of that quality of service,” McCarthy said.

What is offered for higher tax?

Snow plows that wait until the end of the snowstorm to arrive?

Poorly plowed streets because the dems REFUSE to tow cars off priority streets and REFUSE to declare snow emergencies to facilitate PROPER snow plowing   (e.g., Albany is LESS taxes and MORE snowplowing)

Police that do not show up to take reports because they are off responding to all the shootings and stabbings?
Cops who spend their on-the-taxpayer-dime time watching their kid bowl, going to a doctor appointment, working at a second job, and spending 4 hours of OT sleeping at someone's house)

Police, Fire staff, and department heads who REFUSE to pay the taxes in the city?

City leaders who REFUSE to mandate that their dept heads (and other HIGH PAID employees) live IN the city.

A school that offers "more electives" - yeah, fingernail painting, international cooking, dancing, swimming---in a pool FORCIBLY paid for by the taxpayers which they themselves cannot use.   A city where parents do not have a choice in their children's education (unless they pay $10,000 for tuition which would be the equivalent of between 25% to 35% of the family's total income)

A city which penalizes homeowners when the house numbers aren't of a type/size that the dictator-mayor orders?

A city where your children cannot play outside

A city where you can get murdered going to the corner store

A city where you are paying for the renovations/repairs of properties owned by wealthy and/or politically connected developers/property owners

A city where you subsidize people who illegally have STAR exemptions?


Just a few things

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The owner also pays roughly $779 in garbage, sewer and water taxes, because the average house has 1.5 baths. (Sewer and water rates are based partly on the number of fi xtures in the house.)


Many suburbs don’t offer garbage pickup, and some neighborhoods don’t have sewer infrastructure, requiring the owners to pay for and maintain septic systems.

Well, let's do the math.   UNDER $300 a yer in trash/recycling fees, a septic system which costs about $150 to pump out roughly once every two years (that's $75 per year), and a water cost of $25 a year.

Hmm, let's see, the last time I checked, that's $300 + $75 + $25 = $400 per year vs McCarthy saying that $779 per year is a great bargain.  My gosh, those three are almost TWICE THE COST of the suburbs !!!!!!!!!!!!   YIKES!    And of course the cost of trash collection in the city is NOT just the "annual fee" because in the city, you pay for trash collection TWICE -- via the fee AND through your city property taxes because the trash collection department budget is based on BOTH the "fee" AND the property tax.   That budget is NOT SOLELY operated on income from the trash "fee"


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And then there’s the volunteer fire departments, which in some areas can charge a special tax on the neighborhood’s houses, while others ask for donations.

Why didn't this story, trying to praise Schenectady, actually go and investigate what municipality does what and what the residents get for their money.

In the town, we pay, depending on fire district, something in our tax bill based on our assessed value.  Since it is an amount, e.g., one dollar per thousand, it is part of the tax deduction allowed when you itemize.

Secondly, why doesn't the story break down the cost in the city, i.e., IF the city were to break down these costs on peoples' tax bills, what would the cost be per thousand.  

And while the city is more interested in making homeowners pay for the tax exemptions to millionaires, and more interested in penalizing homeowners for incorrect size house numbers, they have been ignoring the serious code violations, e.g., poor electrical, which then may cause fires and too many neighboring houses are getting scorched or out and out burned to the ground in the process.  Now think, if you lived next door to one of Popolizio's places and it had a fire because he doesn't keep the place up, and your house gets scorched, and he does not carry insurance, what will it cost YOU, as a homeowner IN the city to repair your house?  Assuming your own insurance company will cover the cost, what will happen your homeowners' insurance premium because you have put in a claim?  



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McCarthy touts the city’s services ....the city offers more for its tax.

“People have to look at the overall quality of life and delivery of services,” he said, ..."

“People are very appreciative of that quality of service,” McCarthy said.

Now watch DV aka Ham post here..... "the renaissance continues" and otherwise praising McC and the city dem leaders.

Just watch.

But DV REFUSES, TOTALLY 100% REFUSES to buy a home IN the city.  

DV REFUSES, TOTALLY 100% REFUSES to even rent IN the city!

And what's more, DV REFUSES to tell us WHY he won't have any part whatsoever of living IN the city.



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Quoted from rachel72

Schenectady is the highest tax in the Capital Region and the 18th in the entire state. Factor into that senario a poor school system (even WITH the $160 million school budget), pit bulls, deteriorating neighborhoods.....

Fact is, Schenectady has really nothing to offer to hard-working families and those are the folks you WANT living in your City.  

Now let's find out which County/City has the most generous welfare benefits and Schenectady would be #1.

But, but, but, the metroplex downtown funtown extravaganza!

Schenectady merely moved themselves down the highest taxed list by reevaluating worthless properties into gold. That way they can collect more taxes at a lower rate per valued assessment.

It's a farce. Put a f'ing you're all fired button in the voting booth and see what happens.

Interesting, that Rodriguez guy, spoke last month and tonight, he has the house on Moyston St that he sank his life savings into.   Says the house is assessed for $96,500.   There are no houses on Moyston that I can see with that assessment amount, nor full value amount, nor that amount last year.

Strange.


Now here is something funny.   A house burned out around 10 years ago, we drove up Eastern Ave the other day, double checked that the car doors were locked, and then rolled up the windows.   There is a house, drove by slow enough to determine the house number.   It's 854 Eastern.   Can you believe the city claims it's worth $89,000.   And if you look on the cross reference report, it's condition is listed as "Normal."

What kind of nitwit taxpayer paid employees would define a house, burned out a decade ago, and abandoned, as "Normal"   ?

Oh wait, decrepit houses in the city.   Yep, that is "Normal" in Schenectady

Sad, and the mayor thinks giving out mortgages that put people "underwater" the moment they sign on the closing documents, is going to save the city.


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It's still burnt out a DECADE later - and still valued at 89K?? Unbelievable!

I am still trying to figure out what river I need to cross to get to Albany...

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Across the river in Albany, the average homeowner with a $150,000 house pays $5,460 in taxes. That’s before sewer and water costs, which are metered

Quoted from TakingItBack

Id rather the police and firemen respond on an average of 4 minutes and pay less tax.  If they are responding in 2 minutes then they dont have enough to do.  

Volunteer fire departments and police.

Let each neighborhood protect themselves and their properties, by voting for voluntary representatives, to keep their neighborhoods safe.

Quoted from rachel72

Fact is, Schenectady has really nothing to offer to hard-working families and those are the folks you WANT living in your City.  

They offer massive foreclosure rates.

Quoted from mikechristine1

Police that do not show up to take reports because they are off responding to all the shootings and stabbings?

Police absolutely hate responding to phone calls.

It distracts them from the hunting for revenue.