Bedford Assails State Mandate to Cap Property Taxes

Terming a proposed, state-imposed cap on local property taxes “hypocritical,” the Bedford town board Tuesday expressed unanimous and, it acknowledged, quite possibly futile opposition to the plan, already adopted by the State Senate.

If approved in the Assembly, which is not certain, Bedford and other municipalities and schools districts would be limited to annual property-tax increases of 2 percent. The town held 2011’s hike to little more than 2½ percent but only after months of budget-paring.

In its resolution—addressed to newly inaugurated Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who championed the cap in his campaign, and state legislators—the board warned of “drastic cuts in essential local services and dramatic layoffs of municipal employees” if the state limits are imposed. It also blamed Albany’s “continuous and unrelenting imposition” of “costly state mandates” for recent sharp jumps in local property taxes.

“State government apparently has embarked upon a program of transferring [its] responsibilities to county and municipal governments,” the resolution declared.  

In introducing the resolution, Supervisor Lee V.A. Roberts said, “We are more than capable of taking care of our own finances.” To hold this year’s property-tax levy to a 2.56 percent increase—down from an expected 4.4 percent hike— the board had to identify almost a quarter-million dollars in eleventh-hour spending cuts and discover more than $70,000 in revenue, among other feats of budgetary paring.

No one is optimistic that those economies can be readily repeated. State mandates alone, unfunded or underfunded, would push property taxes past the cap limits, said Councilman Christopher Burdick. He and Councilman Francis Corcoran drafted the resolution approved by the board Tuesday.

Councilman David Gabrielson said, “I think it’s a real disaster looming.” Recalling another state’s experience with a cap on property taxes, he said, “I lived in California when they passed Proposition 13 [in 1978] and it’s been a disaster.”

Burdick said it was “hypocritical” of Albany to meddle in the town’s finances when the state “hasn’t been able to get its own house in order.”

Board contracts to house strays

Bedford contracted with Northwind Kennel on Old Post Road (Route 22) to provide shelter for stray dogs and cats brought in by the Bedford police or town animal-control officers. The animals will be boarded, at $15 a day, for up to 30 days, during which time Northwind will partner with Pet Rescue to offer the animal for adoption. After 30 days, unadopted animals could be destroyed, but Northwind’s Penny Berk said, “I have no intention of euthanizing any animal.”

In other action, the board:

APPROVED July 29 for the Bedford Fire Department’s annual parade, which will step off at 7 p.m.

SET March 1 for a public hearing on a proposed ordinance that would forbid any owner to willfully neglect historically significant property and another hearing on an amendment to the landlord registry ordinance. On the same day, the board will conduct a public information session on a federal requirement to pump out and inspect all septic systems in the town.

REAPPOINTED Felix J. Cacciato to a five-year term on the planning board.

CHANGED Sophia Jimenez’ police department appointment from provisional to permanent.

HEARD an appeal from Peter Michaelis, a member of the zoning board of appeals and a number of other town volunteer organizations, to consider some form of term limits for nonelected positions.