Ball calls Putnam budget crisis forum
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- April
- 24
Assemblyman Greg Ball, R-Carmel, and Putnam County Legislator Vincent Tamagna, R-Philipstown, have organized a forum May 5 on what they describe as Putnam’s “current budget crisis.”
Putnam’s Legislature approved two bills this month that together would push Putnam’s sales tax to 8.375 percent.
Local officials want Ball to carry the bills to Albany for approval by the state Legislature. But Ball has charged Putnam officials with not eliminating enough pork from what is now a $121.3 million budget.
For 2008, County Executive Robert Bondi called for a 0.5 percent sales-tax increase on top of the 0.5 percentage point set to expire this year. Bondi said both are needed to ward off a projected 66 percent property tax increase.
Ball’s forum is planned for 9 a.m. on May 5 at the Donald B. Smith Government Center in Carmel.
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on Tuesday, April 24th, 2007 at 5:03 pm by Susan Elan.
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Bondi wants to raise the sales tax rate so that he can lower the rate at which he can tax property. I, as a taxpayer, want to know behind which door lies the option to cut taxes.
The truth is Greg Ball is playing games, he wants others to carry the sales in Albany so he could sit back and say I was the only one who did not support the sales tax increase. Now in typical Greg Ball fashion he is putting on a show for all to see, he is having a forum to discuss the matter.
This is called, “Ball politics”.
Make something bigger then it is, call a forum, get press and do nothing.
Bondi has continuously used “Bondinomics” to balance the budget, and every spring says the sky is falling.
Now Bondi is coming to the taxpayers of Putnam County and demanding that if the legislature does not accept either raising taxes, or (yep, you guessed it), raise taxes then we will experience a crisis.
There is a third option! Cut government.
Ball is the only one who has at least raised the fundamental question:
“Do we really have to increase taxes? Can’t we cut the size of government? Isn’t that at least an option?”
I totally agree with Commonsense. Why is Putnam County gov’t raising taxes while spending money on golf clubs the county has no business in owning and which, I would bet, 95% of county residents do not use? CUT SPENDING!
Ball is the only one asking this question because he is between a rock and a hard place. He has to make a decision to either propose the sales tax increase in the Assembly or not prpose the sales tax increase and force Bob Bondi to plan “B”. Ball is now learning that being an elected official puts you in a position where you must make a decision, you can not ride the fence Mr. Ball. Where do you stand, raise the sales tax or raise the county tax on residents?
this is not greg ball’s move alone. logic dictates that if a freshman minority assemblyman is to introduce and successfull pass a “home rule” request, the powers that be in the assembly (shelly & friends) must see serious movement on the senate side. until this occurs, short of majority member galef introducing this, ball really doesn’t have a job to do.
I wouldn’t credit Mr. Ball with being the only one, or even the first one, who thinks Putnam County can cut spending. In particular, Legislator Vinnie Tamagna – who is co-sponsoring the forum – and Legislators Tony Hay and Dan Birmingham deserve honorable mention.
Your County Legislature is your only hope left to cut county spending. You can address your comments to all nine Legislators by sending an e-mail to:
putcoleg@putnamcountyny.com
If Bondi increases taxes, either sales or property, than that is Bondi’s decision alone. If the legislature stamps their approval, then it becomes theirs.
There is a third option: cut the size of government, cut confidential employees, don’t fill vacancies, sell property, cut pay for management, cut travel, cut daily expenses, cut the overall growth of departments, find innovative revenue streams.
But as of yet, the legislature, save Hay and Tamagna, has rolled over and allowed this county executive to dictate the discussion. And that discussion by the CE refuses to even consider cuts. And now they want Ball to be a rubber stamp too so they do not look bad…
well, Ball was not elected to be a rubber stamp
cut spending…....
Bondi Rules. He’s doing a great job. Ball is nuts.
Putnam County Budget Forum – Together, Legislator Tamagna and Assemblyman Ball have demanded an independent audit of the Putnam County Budget. Both Tamagna and Ball can be seen on Channel 8 all this week and next. On May 5th, Assemblyman Greg Ball, alongside Legislator Tamagna, will be co-hosting a Budget Innovation meeting at 9a.m. in the Emergency Services Meeting on the Donald B. Smith Government Campus in Carmel NY. The Putnam County Executive has proposed a 66% increase of property taxes or an increase of the county sales tax to the highest point in the state. Assemblyman Ball is hosting the forum to consider options other than raising taxes, such as limiting the size and growth of county government. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
The answers are already known, unfortunately the game will be played out first.
if the answers are already know why haven’t they been put into practice? the taxpayers do not want increased taxes this year or next year or the year after that. if a plan exists to give the taxpayers what they want then there should be not banter. so, where’s the plan? where are the “answers”???
Some of you say Ball is between a rock and a hard spot. Your wrong. The poor taxpayer are caught between the rock(bondi) and hard spot(taxes). For years, bondi has run this county down while pretending to do a good job. He has kept those in higher management well paid while the poor civil service people struggle.
You do not see Mr. Liebell or Ms. Galif touching this because they do not want to look bad. I am glad Mr. Ball is looking into the county’s finances.