Kingston Times Editor Dan Barton. (Photo: Keith Ferris/keithferrisphoto.com)
Mayor Noble is right. The sales tax talks with the county really are “one of the most important negotiations we will enter into,” as he said last week. At stake is a huge chunk of the city’s revenue stream. Entering into play is the possibility that the city will reassert the right to levy its own sales tax, a move that would have vast ramifications — some of which are foreseeable, some not — for both the city and the county budgets for years to come.
The editorial position of the Kingston Times is this: Any cut in the city’s share of the sales tax would mean, immediately, two unacceptable negatives for Kingston, the city this paper covers, and the city this paper loves. The first negative would be a whopping property tax hike. The second, cuts in services to the residents and businesses of Kingston, because a tax hike big enough to cover the loss and hold the budget harmless would be a tax hike too big for the city to swallow.
Put another way, cutting the city’s sales tax take would have a more harmful and more direct impact on the city than a cut in the county’s take would have on the city. Don’t buy the argument that all taxes come from the same pockets, so it’s not relevant which entity gets them or in what proportion. The city’s budget is pretty tight and certain to get tighter as Kingston’s pressed into dealing with a very creaky infrastructure. Choking off the sales tax means fewer cops on the street, fewer DPW workers on the job, needed road and water/sewer fixes put off. All at a time when Kingston’s finally on the verge of a real blossoming, culturally and commercially.
For some dilemmas, there’s an ethically correct answer. For others, a win-win scenario can be arrived at. But sometimes, struggles between two entities lack a clear ethical choice, or truly are zero-sum games. So it seems in this case: the county’s gain is the city’s loss and vice versa. Life, especially in a time of very low property tax hike caps, can be like that. When it is like that, true wisdom resides in knowing where one stands, knowing where others stand and acting accordingly. No office-holder who’s for taking sales tax away from Kingston can honestly say they’re a supporter of Kingston, and should be viewed by the people of Kingston accordingly.
This paper stands for the City of Kingston, as well as the towns of Ulster and Esopus, which would also suffer severe hits. Mayor Noble and the Common Council must remain resolute and thoroughly explore all options towards preserving the vital work the city government does for its people. A people who should take note of where their elected officials come down on this issue — and remember that the next time they ask for the people’s support at the polls.
If KingstonX truly loved the city, it would provide readers with facts to make their own decision, rather than present a simplified “us & them” mentality. For instance, no mention of the county’s safety net takeover, or the 2001 agreement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKQCjFwPoBw
Our news coverage mentions all those things, in detail. All our coverage of this matter can easily be found on this very site. – Dan the editor
Hey Rob Walters, KingstonX truly does love the city. And its editor is by far the most handsome of all editors in all the land.
I never thought I would regret leaving the Legislature. I wish I had a vote and a voice in this debate. Safety Net takeover had and has nothing to do with the Sales Tax contract with Kingston. My vote and fight would be to keep the terms as is for another 5 years. The City has tremendous infrastructure issues, The City needs that revenue to take care of those major repairs and more. If I were still a member of this body my voice and opinion would be loud and clear to the Republican majority. I have made my opinion known.
The die has been cast, Jeannette, with this county executive and the ridiculous support he continues to enjoy despite the obvious fact he is such a silly clown walking around wearing a silly clown smile all the while(the only thing missing is his clown makeup, but that can be easily provided). If the debacle over Golden Hill Health Care Center wasn’t enough to convince anyone of this, then my own experience dealing with his own silly 6th floor office on an issue that saw total neglect of an elderly resident in need should have convinced not only me but everyone else. And allowing the stupid frisking of those entering DSS was another one. What a clown act, a total clown act, and this act only gets more entertaining than Barnum and Bailey over time. That the Dems failed to get rid of this clown Hein a long time ago speaks to that aspect of things. That the Dems failed to have serious discussions after IBM left about merging or consolidating services with Ulster is also a failure that is coming back to haunt them as this failure now is unmasked by all this stuff. Oh well. Their own pitiful damn fault.
Now the fact no one can HEAR anything with that silly sound system they have in the Common Council Chambers may speak to something symbolic beyond the obvious practicality of it. Maybe it is meant that no one hear should be heard or have a voice. Maybe only the elite are to have a voice. Maybe only the popular folks du jour are supposed to be heard. Maybe we are supposed to see a drama of someone bringing a megaphone or a bullhorn in there and then getting arrested. If any of this reminds anyone of Kingston, raise your hands. Ok now put them down–the birds this Spring don’t need ANOTHER TARGET!!! : – OOO