LEGISLATURE: County officials hit the brakes on gas tax plan

By Mark Scheer<br><a href="mailto:scheerm@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Mark</a>

It appears unlikely that Niagara County residents will receive a break on the local share of gasoline taxes this summer.

In light of growing opposition to a similar proposal in Albany, members of the Niagara County Legislature’s Administration Committee on Monday agreed to table a measure that would have eliminated the county’s share of gasoline taxes collected between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The committee’s decision came at the urging of County Manager Gregory Lewis who said without similar action at the state level the county could not legally take action to temporarily suspend its share of gas tax.

“Right now, state law doesn’t allow for a county to make a change for the summer,” Lewis said.

The state Senate last week approved legislation calling for the state to suspend its share of gasoline tax for the summer months.

The measure has received little support in the Assembly and Gov. David Paterson has already voiced his opposition to the plan.

Even if state lawmakers reversed course, Lewis said it would likely be too difficult from a timing standpoint to make the necessary local changes to suspend the county’s gas tax share by Memorial Day, as proposed.

If gas tax holidays were approved by the local, state and federal governments, it is estimated that New Yorkers would save as much as 65 cents per gallon at the pump.

County lawmakers called for the suspension of the county’s share of gax tax in response to growing constituent concerns about rising fuel costs.

“I know as legislators all of us feel we need to do something,” said Legislator John Ceretto, R-Lewiston.

Lewis said another gas tax proposal floated earlier this year by county lawmakers still has merit and will likely get a closer look next month.

Lewis said his staff plans to update county lawmakers in June on the potential financial ramifications of a proposal from county Democrats to limit limit the amount of county tax collected on gasoline to no more than what is owed on $3 a gallon. Lewis said he wants to check with the state Department of Taxation and Finance to determine what procedures would be required if the county were to move forward with the proposed gas tax cap.

In other matters, the committee:

• Received an overview of Niagara County Community College’s proposed $44.1 million 2008-09 budget, which calls for a 6 percent, or $2.4 million increase over this year’s spending plan. The college is asking the county for $9 million in support, an increase of roughly $177,000, or about 2 percent. The committee set a public hearing on the college’s tentative budget for 6:30 p.m., June 3 in the Legislative chambers at the county courthouse building in Lockport.

• Set a public hearing on the proposed creation of a county Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for 6:40 p.m., June 3 at the Legislative Chambers in the county courthouse building in Lockport. The proposed department would be responsible for emergency preparedness in the county and would be headed by a director who would be responsible for the coordination of resources during emergencies.

• Agreed to hire Ecology & Environment, Inc. to conduct a mass casualty incident exercise as required by the Niagara County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and to help the county update the plan itself. The company will be paid $59,311 to assist with the mass casualty exercise and another $37,218 to help with revisions to the county’s Strategic Security Plan. Both costs will be covered by funds included in the county’s homeland security budget.

• Authorized the use of $240,000 in grant funds from the Office of Homeland Security for the purchase of a $232,00 multi-purpose rescue vehicle and $8,000 in communication equipment.

n approved a resolution that would allow the County Clerk’s Office to enter into a 60-month agreement at a cost of $13,200 per month with Info Quick Solutions, Inc., a Liverpool, N.Y., provider of records management services.

• Approved a resolution that will allow the Niagara County Refuse Disposal District to hire, as needed, members of International Union of Operating Local 463 to fill in for personnel vacations, emergency situations and to help the district meet deadlines for federal Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Conservation projects. Under the proposed agreement, union members can be hired for up to 60 days.