NIAGARA COUNTY: Lawmakers defend tax status

Local News

November 9, 2006

Niagara’s ranking among other Western New York counties cited

By Jill Terreri The Niagara Gazette Thu Nov 09, 2006, 08:52 PM EST

Members of the Niagara County Legislature put forth rankings this week that put the tax burden on its constituents in a more favorable light.

In a response to a study by the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax research organization based in Washington, D.C., Legislator Richard Updegrove, R-Lockport, noted that compared to other Western New York counties, Niagara County’s tax burden isn’t so great.

Using data from county budgets for 2006 from across the state, Niagara County ranks fifth out of 10 counties in Western New York in terms of the county tax rate per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

In Niagara County, homeowners pay $8.97 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, compared with $4.96 in Erie County, which came in on the lowest end of the 10-county scale.

If counties are measured by how many employees they have relative to their general populations, Erie again comes in first in Western New York, while Niagara comes in third.

Erie County employs 43 people per 10,000 county residents, Monroe County employs 67 people and Niagara County employs 75.

A study released in October by the Tax Foundation found that in counties across the country that are home to over 65,000 people, Niagara County residents pay the most in property taxes when they are calculated as a percentage of their home’s value.

Property taxes include all taxes homeowners pay on their property, including city or town, school and county taxes.

Updegrove noted that county taxes account for 21 percent of the total property tax burden, compared to 55 percent for school taxes and 16 percent from towns and cities.

He also noted that employee salaries and benefits comprise 40 percent of county spending.

Legislator Danny Sklarski, D-Town of Niagara, complained about mandates.

He noted that the state’s fee for one of its social services programs increased by $106 per child, per day, which the county is responsible for paying. The fee begins in 2007 but the change is retroactive to 2006.

“This is a state-mandated item that we have no control over,” Sklarski said. “We have to pay this. “It’s not ending people. ... You need to know what we’re up against here.”

Updegrove urged county residents to form a task force to look at the county budget and suggest cuts. He asked residents to call him at 434-2140 if they are interested.