Onondaga County will bring in $5.6 million less in property taxes in 2012 than it will this year, resulting from the approval of the $1.2 billion county budget last week.

The County Legislature approved the budget with a 13-6 vote on Oct. 11. The county’s tax levy will decrease from $153.8 million to $148.2 million in 2012, meaning the average county tax rate per $100,000 of assessed value will drop from $5.82 to $5.56. Last year, the Legislature voted to drop the tax levy from $184 million to $154 million, said Jim Rowley, chief fiscal officer for the county.

The Legislature also voted to eliminate about $400,000 in funding for the Syracuse Philharmonic Society; approve borrowing $5.2 million for the planned $7.8 million renovation of the Onondaga County Public Library; approve a 14.5 percent annual pay increase for the comptroller; and eliminate $107,000 in tax dollars earmarked for the sheriff’s helicopter.

Property taxes

Although the property tax level is going down $5.6 million, taxes are going up in some towns. Non-village property owners in 11 of the county’s 19 towns will have taxes increase from 2 to 15 percent.

In 14 of the county’s 15 villages and in the city of Syracuse, property owners will have their county taxes decrease by 4 or 5 percent. But residents of the village of Fabius will pay 10 percent more in county taxes in 2012.

The differences in how villages, towns and the city of Syracuse spend sales tax dollars is the main reason why some will see a decrease in property taxes while others will experience an increase.

All the county’s villages take their share of the county’s sales tax revenues in cash except for Fabius. Fabius instead took its share of revenue as credit against its county taxes, Rowley said.

‘We’re phasing out sales tax sharing with towns, and for the most part, that sales tax that was shared with the towns was used to offset the county taxes,’ Rowley said. ‘So as that goes away, even though we lower the levy, we can’t overcome the fact that we’re not sharing taxes like we used to. So the way it works out is some towns are going up and some towns are going down.’

Syracuse Philharmonic Society

Onondaga County legislators voted 10-9 to eliminate $404,465 in room occupancy tax funding for the Syracuse Philharmonic Society, which formed following the collapse of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra earlier this year.

‘It is deeply disappointing that the county Legislature cut the funding from the budget,’ said Jeffry Comanici, president of the Syracuse Philharmonic’s board of directors, in an Oct. 12 statement. ‘In doing so, the Legislature has, in effect, taken money out of the pockets of the local musicians whom the Syracuse Philharmonic would employ.’

Richard Lesniak, the Legislature’s Republican floor leader, presented the resolution that amended the budget to take out the funds for the Philharmonic. Lesniak said he feels uneasy providing funds to the Philharmonic until he knows it can survive.

Public library

The Legislature approved borrowing $5.2 million for the planned $7.8 million renovation of the Onondaga County Public Library downtown, which will go toward improving infrastructure.

Comptroller raise

Raises for both County Comptroller Robert Antonacci and County Clerk M. Ann Ciarpelli were included in the 2012 county budget.

When the County Legislature voted 13-6 to approve the 2012 budget, both Antonacci and Ciarpelli received raises. But because Ciarpelli is in the middle of a four-year term, a separate local law needed to be passed to increase her salary. The local law for her raise was then defeated.

But Antonacci got his raise, boosting his annual salary 14.5 percent to $99,800.

Legislator Thomas Buckel, a Democrat representing the 7th District, voted against the increases.

‘I think it is irresponsible for any elected official to seek a large pay raise at a time when we are cutting positions, cutting jobs,’ Buckel said. ‘Leaders need to lead by example and this was an example of people getting special privileges by virtue of their position.’

Sheriff’s helicopter

The Legislature voted 12-7 to eliminate the final $107,000 in tax dollars earmarked for the sheriff’s helicopter, Air-1, from next year’s budget.

‘Air-1 only flies approximately 700 hours a year and we seem to get along fine without it the rest of the time. If there’s a medical flight, we have a medical, private company that provides medical flights,’ said William Kinne, a Democratic legislator representing the 15th District.

But Republican Legislator Robert Warner of the 13th District was one of the seven to oppose the elimination of Air-1 funds.

Warner, who spent 25 years with the New York State Police, said the helicopter has rescued one of his friends out of Oneida Lake. Earlier this year, Warner proposed a resolution that restricts the helicopter from leaving the county until reimbursement is collected.

But Lesniak, the Republican floor leader, said Sheriff Kevin Walsh’s department budget had a $3 million increase this year, so cuts had to be made.

Lesniak said: ‘He wants to be able to do everything; you just can’t afford to do everything anymore.’

jdharr04@syr.edu

Published on October 18, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Jon: jdharr04@syr.edu