Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr., announced this morning at a news conference he will propose a reduction in Oneida County’s sales tax to an 8.75 percent rate that would go into effect by Dec. 1.
The legislation would have to be passed by the county and state Legislature by September 1.
There is a possibility the sales tax could drop to 8.5 percent by the end of 2008, if the county is in a stable position to do so, Picente said.
Except, of course, Picente isn't proposing a sales tax drop at all. The "emergency, short-term, honest-we're-only-gonna-keep-it-until-the-crisis-is-over medicaid tax" ends this November, sending Oneida County back to a sales tax rate of 8%.
Mr. Picente is advocating a tax increase.
Update: WKTV is on board with the "tax cut" too.
Currently, in Oneida County, residents pay a sales tax of 9%, which happens to be the highest of any county in the state. But, if Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente has his way, you'll start to pay 8.75%.
Picente tells NEWSChannel 2, lowering the sales tax will add revenue that would be dedicated to county purposes. He says the county can afford to do this because of Oneida County's near $13 million surplus. However, he's not ruling out property tax increases in the future.
Again, the increased sales tax was supposed to be a "temporary" measure. It ends on November 30, 2007. Nothing is getting "lowered". Mr. Picente is asking the residents of Oneida County to pay a new tax that just happens to start the day after the old one ends.
