Cayuga County taxes will have increased by 93.4 percent during the last nine years if the 2008 $136,423,428 budget is passed.

The Consumer Price Index has gone up by about 24 percent during this same time frame.

So this is what the GOP leadership calls fiscal responsibility, eh?

In 2006 and 2007, the county kicked in $2.1 and $2.6 million, respectively, from the “unappropriated fund balance” to lower our tax levy.

However, for 2008, the county is kicking in only $1.7 million, which will leave a fund balance of $18 million. (County Manager Wayne Allen Nov. 19 meeting at BOCES)

Last year, the county said that there was going to be $10 million left in this “slush” fund.

So where did this additional $8 million come from?

It came from you, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer, by collecting more in property and sales taxes than required and because of the high gas prices.

The county overtaxed us in previous years and the majority of the money in this fund balance account is ours and should be returned to us by kicking in - at a minimum - an additional $3 million to lessen our tax levy and thereby giving us a tax decrease instead of a 5.7 percent increase.

This will still leave $15 million (11 percent) in their unappropriated “slush” fund balance.

It's one thing to plan for a rainy day by having an emergency fund, but it#'s another to assume we're going to have a tsunami in Cayuga County.

For 2007 and 2008, they budgeted an increase of only $400,000 in additional sales tax each year, which was highly unrealistic, in light of the new stores such as Home Depot, Kohl's, etc.

And there will be four or more new big businesses this and next year - and that's just in Aurelius.

As proof of the pudding, in 2006 they collected $17.8 million in actual sales tax and estimate to collect $19 million in 2007.

Both of these numbers are millions over their low ball estimates.

To add insult to injury, they want to remove the cap on gasoline tax so that they can collect an additional $325,000 from us.

More unnecessary taxation.

Maybe if the people call their Legislators ahead of their Dec. 18 final meeting and voice their outrage, they will take some positive action.

At least we should try because the status quo of us and others speaking at their budget hearings, just isn't working.

Bill Balyszak

Auburn