CHEER FOR SCHENECTADY! RAH RAH! SCHENECTADY IS NUMBER 1 !!!!!!!!
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Report: Schenectady taxes highest in Capital Region
By Bethany Bump March 17, 2015 | Updated 2:57 p.m.
CAPITAL REGION — Schenectady residents, you’re not imagining it. Your taxes really are high.
The city of Schenectady boasted the highest effective tax rate in the Capital Region in 2013, according to a new report released today by the Empire Center for Public Policy, a fiscally conservative think tank out of Albany. The city’s tax rate was $43.58 per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. Put another way, a Schenectady resident with a median home value of $160,250 would have paid $6,984 that year.
The Empire Center’s annual Benchmarking NY report uses data from the state Comptroller’s Office to calculate effective tax rates — or the total payments made as a percentage of the property’s full market value — for almost every locality in the state. New York City and Nassau County were excluded because they impose different rates on different property classes.
“There’s no question that New Yorkers pay some of the highest property taxes in the country, but the burden can vary widely even among neighboring jurisdictions,” said Empire Center Executive Director Tim Hoefer in a news release. “By making it easier to compare taxes in different localities, we hope to encourage local taxpayers and elected officials to search for ways of reducing taxes and spending.
The Capital Region actually boasted the lowest tax rate among regions in the state in 2013, with a median effective tax rate of $24.68 per $1,000. The nearby Mohawk Valley region had a tax rate of $31.13, just above the state median of $30.60. Western New York had the highest rate in the state, at $35.72.
After Schenectady, the city of Albany had the next highest rate in the region at $41.67 per $1,000. The Schenectady County village of Scotia ranked third, with a rate of $40.78.
Saratoga and Warren counties boasted the lowest rates in the Capital Region in 2013. The Saratoga County town of Edinburg had the lowest rate in the region of $8.96 per $1,000. A town resident would have paid $1,986 that year on a home valued at the median $221,700.
In the Mohawk Valley, the Montgomery County village of St. Johnsville had the highest effective tax rate of $54.42 per $1,000. A village resident with a median-valued home would have paid $4,043 that year.
The Fulton County city of Gloversville had the second highest rate at $52.42 per $1,000, or $6,029 for a median-valued home.
Hamilton County boasted the lowest rates in the Mohawk Valley in 2013. The town of Arietta had the lowest rate at $5.57 per $1,000, or just $931 for a median-valued home.
And the FACT is that the median value of homes in the city has fallen SUBSTANTIALLY below that $160,000 amount.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Highest taxes and going higher Tax base massively falling Property values falling (and no reassessment) Reduction of essential services but tax money for unnecessary "fancy" light poles on Erie Blvd and a modern Vegas style bright light sign on a historic building ( a sign not in any way in keeping with the ORIGINAL appearance).
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
IIRC remember reading in the GAZ. sometime last year or before that when the Mayor was discussing the high taxes, he stated rather than lowering the taxes he was going to try to bring the value of the homes up, via improvements within the city to justify the high taxes. Have no idea if anywhere near that goal as yet, or the time frame involved.
Here is what was not included in the version online last night:
DV should be asking McC if McC wants some cheese with his whine.
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“We know property taxes are too high,” said Mayor Gary McCarthy. “We’re always looking for ways to cut costs and just be more effi cient, and we have. The city’s tax levy is down three-quarters of a percentage point since I’ve been here, so we’re containing costs. But the school district is half the bill.”
The Schenectady City School District filed a complaint against the state in 2013 over its distribution of education aid, arguing the state’s formula for distributing school funding discriminates against districts with high concentrations of minority students. The district gets only 54 percent of the school aid it should receive from the state under the current funding formula, resulting in an estimated $62 million annual shortfall that ultimately inflates the city’s tax rate.
“When the school comes up on the short end of the funding formula, that translates into bottom-line costs for taxpayers,” McCarthy said. “We’re trying to address it. We recognize the problem and are trying to work on it. But it’s a combined effort with other things.
Look at the cost of homeownership in the city. It’s actually lower than in suburban areas.”
It doesn’t help that the state has kept its Aid and Incentives for Municipalities funding to municipalities flat in recent years, McCarthy said. Schenectady receives about $11.2 million a year in the unrestricted funding. If it got the extra $5 million a year that the slightly smaller city of Utica gets, property taxes would fall by about 15 percent, he said.
Homeownership costs less than in suburban areas? For McC to make that statement is proof POSITIVE that he absolutely far too INCOMPETENT to be a mayor Notice that he avoids providing EVIDENCE of his statement (gee, just like DV, the two "think together")
Speaking of, notice how DV totally avoids addressing the FACT that it the EVIDENCE (presented by another source) substantiates what we intelligent people have been saying that Schenectady pays the highest taxes. Not to mention, remember a while back, DV stated that "Democrats actually lower taxes." But then he did not produce one teeny weeny shred of EVIDENCE to support his statement-----so DV, tell us, do the Democrats actually lower the taxes? Hmmmm??????? Got any EVIDENCE???????
Notice how the McC said the tax levy went down a bit, but notice how, despite an apparent reduction in the tax levy, the tax BILLS still have gone up! And THAT is because McC exempts all his downtown millionaire cronies to pay way far less than their full share of taxes.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Report: Schenectady taxes highest in Capital Region
By Bethany Bump March 17, 2015 | Updated 2:57 p.m.
CAPITAL REGION — Schenectady residents, you’re not imagining it. Your taxes really are high.
WOW....wonder how this headline is working out for their attempt to sell homes?
With that said.....we know a middle aged couple who is putting an offer in on a home in woodlawn. Yes the home is priced on the low side and the taxes are higher...+$6K But this is how they rationalized it...... 'a home in another area would have cost more, and taxes would be lower, but the mortgage payment would come out to be the same.' They also said.....'buying a home for 'less' means they can pay it off faster' They also said.....'pay more for a home or pay it in taxes....pick your poison...yer either paying the bank or the government.'
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
With that said.....we know a middle aged couple who is putting an offer in on a home in woodlawn. Yes the home is priced on the low side and the taxes are higher...+$6K But this is how they rationalized it...... 'a home in another area would have cost more, and taxes would be lower, but the mortgage payment would come out to be the same.' They also said.....'buying a home for 'less' means they can pay it off faster' They also said.....'pay more for a home or pay it in taxes....pick your poison...yer either paying the bank or the government.'
The real problem will be when they try to sell it, because they decide they too don't want to live in Schenectady, the home in the suburb could be sold while the house in the city will not.
WOW....wonder how this headline is working out for their attempt to sell homes?
With that said.....we know a middle aged couple who is putting an offer in on a home in woodlawn. Yes the home is priced on the low side and the taxes are higher...+$6K But this is how they rationalized it...... 'a home in another area would have cost more, and taxes would be lower, but the mortgage payment would come out to be the same.' They also said.....'buying a home for 'less' means they can pay it off faster' They also said.....'pay more for a home or pay it in taxes....pick your poison...yer either paying the bank or the government.'
That's actually some sound forward-thinking reasoning. I think one thing folks on these forums fail to realize is that in spite of what get's posted here the negative thoughts are only coming from a small group. Very vocal in their criticism, but still not the majority. Otherwise there would have been some massive governmental change. It hasn't happened. And I do realize that this county has for the most part been heavily Democratic for a very long time. Still, if there is a "massive opposition" to what's going on here re: taxes, etc., then why haven't things changed. IMHO, the majority of folks who live here, although not happy with taxes etc. are still willing to take a chance and stay. They're speculating on things getting better. I wonder how many people brought homes in the City before 2008, speculating on making a profit in a few years since home values were rising so fast, and then got burned when it all went to crap.
I talk to folks and I get a majority of them giving optimistic and positive opinions. Some homeowners, some not. Go figure.
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
That's actually some sound forward-thinking reasoning. I think one thing folks on these forums fail to realize is that in spite of what get's posted here the negative thoughts are only coming from a small group. Very vocal in their criticism, but still not the majority. Otherwise there would have been some massive governmental change. It hasn't happened. And I do realize that this county has for the most part been heavily Democratic for a very long time. Still, if there is a "massive opposition" to what's going on here re: taxes, etc., then why haven't things changed. IMHO, the majority of folks who live here, although not happy with taxes etc. are still willing to take a chance and stay. They're speculating on things getting better. I wonder how many people brought homes in the City before 2008, speculating on making a profit in a few years since home values were rising so fast, and then got burned when it all went to crap.
I talk to folks and I get a majority of them giving optimistic and positive opinions. Some homeowners, some not. Go figure.
I have to agree, it is a minority of people that are critical. But I don't agree that people stay because they speculate things are better, I think people stay because their perspective on "better" is different, and these people make up the majority.
If you a are person that is on DSS and have been accustom to generational welfare and you know nothing else, and your food stamps, HEAP and other entitlements increase - then things are getting better. If you are Guyanese(many who can't legally vote) and come from an underdeveloped 3rd world country and you now have indoor plumbing, sewers, and running water - things are getting better. If you are on the other end, and you are a government worker, and every contract year you are getting an increase in pay - things are getting better. If you are a wealthy contractor or business owner and you benefit from metroplex money and county tax exemptions - things are getting better.
So if you are the highest taxed county, but the high taxes are able to benefit 51%, whether with social welfare for the poor, or corporate welfare for the rich, the ruling party can keep control of the government, so long as they can keep the balance of 51% - 49%.
Been wondering if the State is purposely "shorting" the City/School District to force the City/School Dist. to be more fiscally prudent. Maybe the State has seen something negative in how these 2 groups manage the $$$ they do receive. Then once the State sees that these groups are managing their budgets better with what they have, the State may be apt to free up the purse strings a tad. Despite these shortfalls from the State the groups are still functioning.
The real problem will be when they try to sell it, because they decide they too don't want to live in Schenectady, the home in the suburb could be sold while the house in the city will not.
these folks don't care. again they are middle aged with grown children so schools are not an issue. They plan to pay their mortgage down quicker so they can be mortgage free. Then when they sell it.....it's pure profit.
that's there plan anyway.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Been wondering if the State is purposely "shorting" the City/School District to force the City/School Dist. to be more fiscally prudent. Maybe the State has seen something negative in how these 2 groups manage the $$$ they do receive. Then once the State sees that these groups are managing their budgets better with what they have, the State may be apt to free up the purse strings a tad. Despite these shortfalls from the State the groups are still functioning.
Very logical.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
I have to agree, it is a minority of people that are critical. But I don't agree that people stay because they speculate things are better, I think people stay because their perspective on "better" is different, and these people make up the majority.
If you a are person that is on DSS and have been accustom to generational welfare and you know nothing else, and your food stamps, HEAP and other entitlements increase - then things are getting better. If you are Guyanese(many who can't legally vote) and come from an underdeveloped 3rd world country and you now have indoor plumbing, sewers, and running water - things are getting better. If you are on the other end, and you are a government worker, and every contract year you are getting an increase in pay - things are getting better. If you are a wealthy contractor or business owner and you benefit from metroplex money and county tax exemptions - things are getting better.
So if you are the highest taxed county, but the high taxes are able to benefit 51%, whether with social welfare for the poor, or corporate welfare for the rich, the ruling party can keep control of the government, so long as they can keep the balance of 51% - 49%.
Oh, I couldn't agree more on that, but I still say, and I've spoken to some who believe this, there's a section of the population who own homes, or are considering buying homes, who are willing to bet on an improving City. Not saying they're right, and not saying they're wrong. I guess it's all about how you view things and the risks you're willing to take.
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
WOW....wonder how this headline is working out for their attempt to sell homes?
With that said.....we know a middle aged couple who is putting an offer in on a home in woodlawn. Yes the home is priced on the low side and the taxes are higher...+$6K But this is how they rationalized it...... 'a home in another area would have cost more, and taxes would be lower, but the mortgage payment would come out to be the same.' They also said.....'buying a home for 'less' means they can pay it off faster' They also said.....'pay more for a home or pay it in taxes....pick your poison...yer either paying the bank or the government.'
Obviously they don't understand how they would be owning a house that is not worth what the amount owed on it is. They don't understand the word "equity"
Buy a house in the city today, MIGHT be able to sell it tomorrow, AND LOSE MONEY.
Buy a house elsewhere today, WILL be able to sell it tomorrow, AND MAKE MONEY.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
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