An open letter to Cayuga County legislators about fuel taxes: There has been some talk, but very little positive action by our county legislators in assisting the financial squeeze felt by many county residents. With rising costs in almost every area, the citizens are in some cases having to choose between food, heat, fuel for their vehicles and health care.
The county's reluctance to reduce the increasing tax at the pump due to rising cost per gallon and county tax on the rising cost of home heating fuel appears to demonstrate a disregard for the plight of the average citizen.
The tax burden on homeowners and the working public is particularly difficult at a time when almost everywhere one turns, most things cost more.
There may not be much that we can expect from our county legislators as far as state costs and mandates, but there are some reliefs that could and should be expected regarding taxes at the county level.
My understanding is that the county isn't really aware of how much revenue is raised by the home heating fuel tax. Of course as the price increases, the greater the amount collected by the county. Parallel with this is the increased tax collected at the pump as cost per gallon continues its rise.
At some point, dollars collected from these sources should be subjected to a preset agreed upon ceiling and not be used as an ever-increasing revenue source for the county at the expense of hard-pressed citizens.
The public is not a bottomless well of money for our governments, be it national, state or county. One should expect that our county legislators would responsibly attend to the people's financial quandary and not take advantage of our current (and probably long-term) historic increases in fuel costs.
As more fuel tax revenue is collected, there doesn't seem to be a corresponding decrease in county property tax. I'm sure that there is much more to this “taxing” problem but not being privy to county finances it appears that the public is paying more and getting less. How much increased revenue is being generated by rising fuel prices, and how much has the county property tax been reduced or modified to balance off the windfall?
Gus Taft
Fair Haven
Taft is a member of the Sterling Town Board, but writes this letter as a private citizen
The tax burden on homeowners and the working public is particularly difficult at a time when almost everywhere one turns, most things cost more.
There may not be much that we can expect from our county legislators as far as state costs and mandates, but there are some reliefs that could and should be expected regarding taxes at the county level.
My understanding is that the county isn't really aware of how much revenue is raised by the home heating fuel tax. Of course as the price increases, the greater the amount collected by the county. Parallel with this is the increased tax collected at the pump as cost per gallon continues its rise.
At some point, dollars collected from these sources should be subjected to a preset agreed upon ceiling and not be used as an ever-increasing revenue source for the county at the expense of hard-pressed citizens.
The public is not a bottomless well of money for our governments, be it national, state or county. One should expect that our county legislators would responsibly attend to the people's financial quandary and not take advantage of our current (and probably long-term) historic increases in fuel costs.
As more fuel tax revenue is collected, there doesn't seem to be a corresponding decrease in county property tax. I'm sure that there is much more to this “taxing” problem but not being privy to county finances it appears that the public is paying more and getting less. How much increased revenue is being generated by rising fuel prices, and how much has the county property tax been reduced or modified to balance off the windfall?
Gus Taft
Fair Haven
Taft is a member of the Sterling Town Board, but writes this letter as a private citizen