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More Friday headlines
May 06, 2011 9:58 am
New HUD money for six area homeless programs
Mid Hudson News Network reports on a half dozen programs throughout the Hudson Valley that will be receiving federal Housing and Urban Development funds for new homeless programs over the coming year. Among the agencies getting grants are Community Action of Greene County, based in Catskill, which will receive $88,350; the Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties, based in Hudson, which will receive $29,932, and Gateway Community Industries, based in Kingston, which will receive $49,876. “The funds will be used primarily to assist these local organizations in providing housing, rental assistance, services such as mental health counseling, job training, educational assistance, substance abuse treatment and child care,” said HUD Regional Administrator Adolfo Carrion. “This comes at a time when we’ve seen this severe downturn in our economy and the impact of foreclosures on families, the loss of jobs leading to the inability to pay rent.” Read the whole story in Mid Hudson News Network.
Senate bill slows consolidation
Rick Karlin of the Times Union reports on a state legislative wrinkle to a movement that was beginning to have repercussions in the consolidation of town and village courts, and talk of further shared services, in Columbia and Greene counties. "Even before he was governor, Andrew Cuomo pushed for government consolidation. As attorney general, he championed a law making it easier for residents of taxing entities -- ranging from villages to sewer districts -- to consolidate or dissolve them," Karlin writes. "But earlier this week, the state Senate quietly passed a proposal that would restrict Cuomo's consolidation law, sparking a potential fight with the governor." The new bill, he goes on to explain, would place time limits on citizen-initiated consolidation efforts by forcing petitions to be completed in 60 days. Furthermore, it would mean that there would be a four-year moratorium on consolidation efforts should a vote fail. "One of the primary reasons New Yorkers have had to endure massive increases in their property taxes is the fact that there are 10,000 local governments in this state," Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto said in reaction to the new bill, which Albany-watchers are saying will likely not move in the state Assembly. "The governor believes that we can bring down property taxes by consolidating local governments, and this legislation will make it much harder to do just that." Locally, village courts have consilidated with surrounding town courts in Athens and Valatie over the last few months.Read the whole story at The Times Union.
Bill seeks to keep ‘millionaires tax’ through 2012
Adam Sichko reports in the Albany Business Review that the "millionaire's tax" surcharge for those making over $250,000 a year - a key element in the March budget battles that included several protests and public discussions within the WGXC listening area -- has resurfaced as a Senate bill, with the Assembly likely to bring up a measure as well. "Sen. Tony Avella, a first-term Democrat from Queens, wants to keep the tax going through 2012," Sichko writes. "Avella wants to limit the tax to only affect actual millionaires, taxing their income at 8.97 percent... Doing so would generate an extra $4.2 billion for the state." Sen. John Bonacic, a Republican representing much of the Catskills and Mid-Hudson Valley, has previously said he, too, would support extending a tax surcharge on filers making $1 million or more, increasing the new law's chances for passage in both houses. State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver supports such a move in his chamber of the legislature. "More than six weeks remain in the scheduled legislative session, so there’s still plenty of time for a bill to pass," Sichko concludes. "Even as part of a broader package of legislation. Read the whole story at Albany Business Review.
Region's Hudson River bridge tolls may rise
William Kemble has a story in the Daily Freeman about possible toll increases for the five Hudson River bridges operated by the New York State Bridge Authority. He quotes Authority Executive Director Joseph Ruggiero stating that the amount of the toll increase, needed to pay for deck replacement on the Beacon-Newburgh span, will depend on a fiscal analysis conducted during the next four months. I can’t say to you it’s a quarter or 50 cents," Ruggiero said. "I don’t know that yet.” "The current $1 toll for eastbound passenger vehicles has been in place since 2000, when a 25-cent increase took effect," Kemble writes. "Ruggiero said public hearings must be held before a toll increase is voted on by the Bridge Authority’s board. Read the whole story at the Daily Freeman.
Mid Hudson News Network reports on a half dozen programs throughout the Hudson Valley that will be receiving federal Housing and Urban Development funds for new homeless programs over the coming year. Among the agencies getting grants are Community Action of Greene County, based in Catskill, which will receive $88,350; the Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties, based in Hudson, which will receive $29,932, and Gateway Community Industries, based in Kingston, which will receive $49,876. “The funds will be used primarily to assist these local organizations in providing housing, rental assistance, services such as mental health counseling, job training, educational assistance, substance abuse treatment and child care,” said HUD Regional Administrator Adolfo Carrion. “This comes at a time when we’ve seen this severe downturn in our economy and the impact of foreclosures on families, the loss of jobs leading to the inability to pay rent.” Read the whole story in Mid Hudson News Network.
Senate bill slows consolidation
Rick Karlin of the Times Union reports on a state legislative wrinkle to a movement that was beginning to have repercussions in the consolidation of town and village courts, and talk of further shared services, in Columbia and Greene counties. "Even before he was governor, Andrew Cuomo pushed for government consolidation. As attorney general, he championed a law making it easier for residents of taxing entities -- ranging from villages to sewer districts -- to consolidate or dissolve them," Karlin writes. "But earlier this week, the state Senate quietly passed a proposal that would restrict Cuomo's consolidation law, sparking a potential fight with the governor." The new bill, he goes on to explain, would place time limits on citizen-initiated consolidation efforts by forcing petitions to be completed in 60 days. Furthermore, it would mean that there would be a four-year moratorium on consolidation efforts should a vote fail. "One of the primary reasons New Yorkers have had to endure massive increases in their property taxes is the fact that there are 10,000 local governments in this state," Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto said in reaction to the new bill, which Albany-watchers are saying will likely not move in the state Assembly. "The governor believes that we can bring down property taxes by consolidating local governments, and this legislation will make it much harder to do just that." Locally, village courts have consilidated with surrounding town courts in Athens and Valatie over the last few months.Read the whole story at The Times Union.
Bill seeks to keep ‘millionaires tax’ through 2012
Adam Sichko reports in the Albany Business Review that the "millionaire's tax" surcharge for those making over $250,000 a year - a key element in the March budget battles that included several protests and public discussions within the WGXC listening area -- has resurfaced as a Senate bill, with the Assembly likely to bring up a measure as well. "Sen. Tony Avella, a first-term Democrat from Queens, wants to keep the tax going through 2012," Sichko writes. "Avella wants to limit the tax to only affect actual millionaires, taxing their income at 8.97 percent... Doing so would generate an extra $4.2 billion for the state." Sen. John Bonacic, a Republican representing much of the Catskills and Mid-Hudson Valley, has previously said he, too, would support extending a tax surcharge on filers making $1 million or more, increasing the new law's chances for passage in both houses. State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver supports such a move in his chamber of the legislature. "More than six weeks remain in the scheduled legislative session, so there’s still plenty of time for a bill to pass," Sichko concludes. "Even as part of a broader package of legislation. Read the whole story at Albany Business Review.
Region's Hudson River bridge tolls may rise
William Kemble has a story in the Daily Freeman about possible toll increases for the five Hudson River bridges operated by the New York State Bridge Authority. He quotes Authority Executive Director Joseph Ruggiero stating that the amount of the toll increase, needed to pay for deck replacement on the Beacon-Newburgh span, will depend on a fiscal analysis conducted during the next four months. I can’t say to you it’s a quarter or 50 cents," Ruggiero said. "I don’t know that yet.” "The current $1 toll for eastbound passenger vehicles has been in place since 2000, when a 25-cent increase took effect," Kemble writes. "Ruggiero said public hearings must be held before a toll increase is voted on by the Bridge Authority’s board. Read the whole story at the Daily Freeman.