Ken Runion on Spending and Taxes |
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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.
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