(Hamilton, NY – April 2015) On April 28, the property owners in the Town and Village of Hamilton will vote to determine if they want to establish an emergency medical service and transportation system as a tax district.
Recently, Somac asked the town council to take on a significant share of the cost to operate emergency medical service and transportation in Hamilton. There are two ways the town can spend taxpayer dollars for the service. One way would be to continue its current practice of addressing this significant contribution in the regular town budget. The second way would be to have the majority of property owners in the town approve the creation of a separate tax district to be paid by property owners to fund the service. Either way, there will be an ambulance service. Either way, taxpayers will contribute in support of the service.
The question voters must decide is which of the two methods will be most beneficial to taxpayers.
Creating a tax district means that every property owner (homeowner, farmer, and proprietor) will pay a new tax for ambulance service. This will be in addition to the town tax bill that they also have to pay. A portion of this tax will inevitably will be passed onto renters and shoppers within the town. I remind you that approximately 30 percent of the property owners pay 100 percent of the property tax in the Village of Hamilton.
By approving a separate tax district, it will appear that responsibility for a tax increase is due to the cost of the ambulance service. A separate bill will shift taxpayer attention away from the need to control the tax increase from last year’s tax bill to pay for new buildings, new equipment, etc.
The stated amount requested by SOMAC for next year from the town is over $250,000. That means a tax of $103 for each $100,000 in assessed property. A dairy farmer with a barn and land, businessperson owning his/her own building, and landlord should expect to pay significantly more than that amount. Is it any wonder why it is difficult to attract new businesses or help residents afford to live in Hamilton?
We need to continue to have ambulance service: that is not what this vote will determine. One tax bill will consolidate your taxes and will give you a clear picture of how much you are required to pay each year.
John Basher
Hamilton