White Plains CitizeNetReporter - NEW WPCNR POLL: Did Westchester Delegation Support Your Best Interests?

WPCNR POLL VOICE OF THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE AND FROM THE PEOPLE.February 15, 2003: The jury has spoken. The Westchester State Senate and Assembly delegation by their refusal to bring to the State Senate and Assembly vote on a 1% sales tax increase has indirectly forced the county to raise property taxes.

A 1% Sales Tax was requested by County Legislators and County Executive Andy Spano to fill the $67 Million hole in the County Budget. The Delegation said there was not a consensus, with 8 Assemblypersons and Senators against it. This has forced Westchester Legislators to enact a 14.8% County Property Tax increase countywide in response. This results in Westchester homeowners paying approximately $100 to over $400 more in certain areas in county property taxes, as well as cuts to a number of county services.

County Executive Andy Spano said this week at the Council of Neighborhood Associations that both Dutchess and Niagara Counties had received such a special sales tax increase with both the Senate and Assembly and the Governor signing off on it, indicating that the Delegation decision not to bring it to the floor of the Assembly was the only roadblock to the passage.

Previously, Strong WPCNR Reader Support for Cutting the Budget.

In the preceding WPCNR Poll which we let run for three weeks, 99 persons voiced their opinions on the budget problem.

Only 35 persons or 35% said they thought the sales tax should be raised 1%. A total of 13 persons or 13% said do not raise the sales tax, make the county cut the budget. A total of 22 persons (22%) said the county should raise the Property Tax to meet the budget. And the last group of 29 persons said the county should simply cut the budget.

Take the latest poll at the right and tell the delegation they did the right thing, or the wrong thing. Our previous poll before the delegation decided not to support the sales tax was evenly split.


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