Talk about pressure......
Looks like the deciding vote on the wind PILOT is District 6 Legislator Gino Zando and the lobbying is heavy on both sides.
Municipal leaders from the Towns of Wilna and Champion are urging a no vote as the exemption on sales tax affects those towns as it does all municipalities in the County. And its not just this one PILOT....Such exemptions are routinely granted for a variety of projects including the construction of a hotel in Black River.
Big Wind and the JCIDA are lobbying Mr. Zando to vote yes and the feeling was he would do so, creating a 7-7 split on the board. Then the plan was board chairman Blankenbush would cast the eighth vote in favor.
Currently six lawmakers are on record in favor of the PILOT and seven are against. There is not thought to be any way of swaying any of those votes.
The matter in question is not so much the property tax exemptions, but the use of the JCIDA to take title to property for the purpose of obviating the mortgage tax and the sales tax on building materials.
In non PILOT deals, these other exemptions are offered and the IDA collects a fee equal to 25% of the tax savings. In esssence, the exemptions redirect money from elected boards to the developer and the IDA.
This has become a routine practice and at a time when sales tax revenues have become sluggish....and most local governments depend on this tax more than the property tax.....opposition to such arrangements is growing.
One local official was told not to lobby county lawmakers. This will get ugly, he was told, and you don't want to be a part of it.
High drama for sure. I wouldn't want to be Gino for all the wind in Hounsfield.
9 comments:
Gino's one years vote will cost his residents of District 6 about $120,000 over then next 3 years. Now how will he explain that to his voters when they ask why they taxes are going up. And I also never want to hear that sales tax is down because the ida feels it is there job to give it away when Don feels it. Don ran his business into the ground and put people out of work and now he is running the Ida and taking from the tax payers again!!!!
One yes vote not year sorry.
Gino can handle it,Ive only met him a couple times he will make the right choices.I live in the neighboring district champion and I realy dont think we should buckle to big wind companies,I am personaly against them being constructed out on lake ontario,I know the economic situation is in dier straights and is going in that direction becouse thats were they believe the money is.Same goes for the gas companies and land owners with leases stand to profit in a big way.Just Google around and read all the things that have happened.Wind is safer than gas but doesnt put out as much.If some one wants to put a small wind turbine in there back yard so be it why go big.We are sitting on a wealthy water supply here dont give or services to the poison company.Water we have here has been cleaned up alot since the regulations that were put in place in 1977.Lake mead is almost out of water we are sitting on the biggest fresh water reserve in the world thats money down the road.....
So Juston we should sell LasVegas some water?? wake up they have wasted their most precious commodity trying to have green grass. Maybe this will cause some contested races in the county leg, rather than the same old corrupt individuals.
I happen to know some of those guys any way ya sell some bottled water to people in Las Vegas sure why not.I think its wrong to treat flowback water from the marcellus shale threw a sewage plant that was not built for it.These plants no matter how big were never meant to treat that many toxic chemicals.Along with radioactive material that has not even been researched or regulated at any level.We need to stand alone not be followers just becouse everyone else is grabbing on does not mean that we should.I urge Mr Slager not to accept this.I believe he is someone who cares about the envirement,or he would have never gotten involved in the sewage treatment field or waste water.My opinion thats it your all entitled to yours........................
At least spell Mr. Sligar's name right. I was referring to the "Great Lakes plan" to sell water, anyway selling bottled water is a waste, clog up the landfills with more unnneeded crap.
Wow were gunna make fun of my spelling now, why don't you put a name on your post before you start telling people what to do for all I know you prabaly work for one of the partys that benefit from this.Just afraid to put yourself outhere.I ve nothing against Mr Sligar there are you happy....
What's prabaly????? I'm not making fun but if you're going to question something at least spell it right. OK.
Internet lingo ok...Im done you win....
Post a Comment