Ken Runion on Sales Tax

Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich state that Ken Runion has made inconsistent statements on sales tax revenue in Guilderland. This is incorrect and his statements concerning sales tax revenue have been entirely consistent based on information available at the time the statements were made.

Ken Runion proposes the Guilderland town budget in September of each year and it is adopted in the first week of November. In planning the budget, Ken Runion always look at what the town has received in sales tax from the prior year and compares it to the current year. In 2008, the town received over $10.4 million in sales tax. Anticipating that the economy was flat in September, Ken Runion budgeted for a little over $10 million in sales tax to be received in 2009, $400,000 less than what we had received in 2008. At the budget meeting Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich asked if Ken Runion felt the town could meet the sales tax projections. Based on the data available the first week in November 2008, he thought it could.

After the budget was adopted November 6, 2008, the economy went into a serious downward spiral. The stock market crashed at the end of November and large companies began to go into bankruptcy in December. As a result of these warning signs, Ken Runion began to re-work the 2009 budget figures. Ken Runion required all departments to curtail spending. He instituted a hiring freeze and any new positions created under the 2009 budget were placed on hold.

In January 2009, the town received its quarterly sales tax payment from the county. In comparing the January 2008 payment to the January 2009 payment, the town saw that the economy was much worse than what was expected at the end of October 2008. At that point (January 2009), Ken Runion re-adjusted the 2009 budget to reflect revenues of $9.7 million from sales tax rather than the $10 million anticipated in November. Ken Runion's next step was to balance the budget based on anticipating less sales tax revenue.

During January and February, 2009, Ken Runion re-negotiated contracts with the unions to reduce over-time expenses and labor costs which is approximately 60% of the town budget. He also forced departments to reduce costs for supplies and equipment. Based on the steps he has taken to date, the town will save $400,000 during the 2009 budget year. This will balance the 2009 budget.

Ken Runion believes Mark Grimm's and Warren Redlich's confusion is due to their basic lack of understanding of town government and the budget process. Warren Redlich claims he was not advised of the above.  This information was explained at a Guilderland Town Board meeting in Feruary of 2009.  Warren Redlich did not attend the meeting because he was on vacation in the Caribbean.  Unfortunately neither, Mark Grimm nor Warren Redlich, is willing to learn. Their constant focus since being elected has been attacks on public officials rather than working to better the quality of life of town residents.

Ken Runion on Assessments

Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich still claim that Guilderland assessments are unfair and that Ken Runion is responsible. Again the facts show otherwise.

1. Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich have been on the Guilderland town board for 14 months and have not made one proposal for change. Why, because the process is controlled by the State.

2. Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich have been the liasons to the assessor for the last 14 months, yet they have not met with the assessor during that 14 month period.

3. Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich benefited from the 2005 re-valuation process. Mark Grimm saw his taxes decrease substantially as a result of the re-valuation and Warren Redlich saw his taxes decrease slightly as a result thereof. All of the other members of the town board saw their taxes increase. In fact, Warren Redlich profited from the re-valuation process. He came to Town Hall on grievance day and passed out his business card to anyone who was interested and represented several clients in the grievance process as a result.

Ken Runion on Spending and Taxes

Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich claim that spending increased in Guilderland by $10 million between 1999-2007 and they point to the State Comptroller's Report. Spending did increase for a very simple reason.

When Ken Runion became Supervisor of Guilderland in 2000, he inherited a deteriorating infrastructure from my predecessors. The Town of Guilderland was under a consent order from the Dept. of Environmental Conservation to upgrade a sewer plant that was substandard, undersized for our population, and discharging untreated water into the streams during periods of heavy usage.

In addition, Ken Runion inherited a water plant that failed to produce drinking water that met federal drinking water standards.

During Ken Runion's term as Guilderland Supervisor, both the sewer plant and water plant were upgraded to meet all government standards and regulations. The cost of those two plant upgrades exceeded $11 million. The State Comptroller Report contains the cost of those two capital projects. In fact, since 1999, general operating expenses decreased according to the report. This is despite the fact that the town's share of retirement contributions to the state went from zero in 1999 to $1.4 million in 2007. Insurance premiums went from $125,000 in 1999 to $560,000 in 2007. Health Insurance contributions also doubled between 1999 and 2007.

As for taxes, Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich claim that the town tax went up 4% and some fees increased by up to 20%. The town tax is the lowest in the county. Our town tax rate in 2008 was 25 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value. In 2009, the rate is 26 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value. Thus, the tax went up one cent per thousand dollars of assessed value. For the typical homeowner, this is less than $2 of the total tax bill. To use percentages rather than actual figures creates an illusion which Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich are noted for.

Fees have not been raised in more than 6 years. Most fee increases dealt with building permits which are paid by the land developers. Fees for a car load of trash taken to the town landfill went up $1. Again, because the town fees are so low, Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich attempt to get people excited by talking illusory percentages rather than actual dollar amounts. It should be noted that Warren Redlich voted for the budget. Mark Grimm voted against it because he thought a non-profit entity was not going to be funded in the budget.

Of course, over the last 14 months, Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich have made a number of unfounded claims against public officials. These have had to be investigated and outside attorneys hired to report on the allegations. The cost to the town taxpayers of the investigations based on the unfounded allegations of Warren Redlich and Mark Grimm probably exceeds the 4% tax increase they complain about.

Ken Runion on Community Caregivers Funding