NORWICH – The wording of a resolution that would extend the county’s authority to impose the additional 1 percent sales tax for the public safety building project was debated at a board meeting last week.
The current legislation isn’t scheduled to expire until Nov. 30, but county lawmakers were advised, they said, to request an extension as soon as possible to ensure it is readied for formal action by the New York State Legislature. The new period would be from Dec. 1, 2009 through Nov. 30, 2011 “or such longer period as may be possible,” the resolution states.
Town of Smyrna Supervisor James B. Bays questioned why the time period was open-ended and moved to strike the final verbiage.
Board Chairman Richard B. Decker said the tax is reviewed every two years despite the open-ended language, and the resolution’s verbiage was “language that the state provides us.”
The resolution was adopted unanimously.
According to Finance Committee Vice Chairman Dennis Brown, the county needs between $5 and $6 million to operate the jail, and the sales tax collected along with boarding-in revenues are used to afford it.
Collections have been used to pay down two bond notes related to construction of the $26 million new facility on Upper Ravine Road in Norwich, for operational costs, and for the approximately $6 million 911 emergency communications system.
Brown said the county already has enough in hand to retire the final bond note.
The supervisor from Preston, Peter C. Flanagan, said he was concerned that, despite the 1 percent collection, road patrols and other non-corrections-related costs at the Public Safety Facility were on the general levy.
“I would have hoped all departments would have been off the levy with the 1 percent. But, that’s not the case. I have concerns about that going on forever,” he said.