A sales tax deal between the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County that won the unanimous approval of the county legislature this week will
mean the elimination of sales tax money to all the county's towns in three
years, a loss that totals $65 million annually according to a front page story in
the Post Standard. The county's share of the sales tax receipts will
increase dramatically to about $200 million if the plan becomes law.
Many observers and the legislators themselves
were reportedly surprised at the vote on the plan, which had been negotiated over
several months by Syracuse's Democratic Mayor Stephanie Miner and Republican County
Executive Joanie Mahoney. Some observers anticipate that the big reductions in
funding could cause town governments to rethink the way sprawl developments are
viewed, since they invariably result in increase demands for local government
services.
The city council must also approve the agreement,
which the paper indicates is expected since Syracuse will continue to receive its $65 million share of the
county sales tax receipts in all but the second year of the 10-year deal.
See www.syracuse.com
for the full story.
