SWAMPSVILLE: Political Intrigue In County's PROPERTY TAX OFFICE

What's going on in the MADISON COUNTY PROPERTY TAX DEPT??   Its newly appointed director, Paul Smith, was dumped by the powers that be in Swampsville.... in a "quickly planned" meeting... without public notice or comment....must have been really nasty...the Supervisors went so far as to entirely "vacate" his position because Smith hadn't signed and taken the official oath within 30 days of taking office.  If that's the case, I bet we would have to vacate the positions of half the town boards and other County positions.  Hope the Oneida Dispatch follows up on this political intrigue...always something....Link to January 13 full article:  http://www.oneidadispatch.com/

 

Here are excerpts from the article: 

" On a procedural technicality, Madison County officials on Tuesday vacated the position of director of Real Property Tax Services.... In a quickly-planned meeting Tuesday morning, supervisors met in executive session as the Committee of the Whole before convening as a board to officially terminate Paul Smith as director of the Department of Real Property Tax Services..... As required by state public officers law, Smith needed to sign and file an official oath of office within 30 days of his appointment. According to county officials he never did so and that automatically “vacates” the position......County officials also would not comment on whether any problems involving Smith had been documented."

 

FORECLOSURE - Rte 8 Sutton Farm....

Rumor is from this month's Town Board meeting:  the County is in the process of foreclosing on the Sutton Farm, Rte 8 for back taxes.  There is a possibility that the owners can redeem their property by paying the back taxes.  This property has been an unlicensed junk yard for years and subject of numerous complaints and violations.  Good to see the County taking action.

BCS - TECH ED Opportunity for Local Students

One would hope that the BCS School Board would JUMP on this educational opportunity offered through Oneida-Madison BOCES. 

UPDATE: Here are the participating  schools - INCLUDING BROOKFIELD: 

 Component ONEIDA HERKIMER &MADISON BOCES districts: Brookfield, Clinton, Holland Patent, New Hartford, New York Mills, Oriskany, Remsen, Sauquoit Valley, Utica, Waterville, Westmoreland and Whitesboro.

Component Herkimer-Fulton-Otsego BOCES districts: Central Valley, Dolgeville, Frankfort-Schuyler, Herkimer, Little Falls, Mount Markham, Owen D. Young, Poland, Richfield Springs and West Canada Valley.

Read more: http://www.uticaod.com/article/20150112/News/150119963#ixzz3OccnWsH4

Read more: http://www.uticaod.com/article/20150112/News/150119963#ixzz3OcbuXRyb

College isn’t for everyone, but neither is the average high school path.  For those in that situation, there’s a new option — and it comes with an associate degree.

Late last year, the governor’s office announced multi-million-dollar grants for two new technical sites in which will operate out of Herkimer-Fulton-Otsego BOCES and Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES, combine elements of high school, college and the professional world.

Though the courses are open to all learners, the P-TECH model targets students who are at risk of dropping out of high school, or not successfully completing college because of cultural or social barriers.

The first class of ninth-graders will start in the fall. The schools still are admitting students, and interested students can learn more by contacting their schools’ guidance counselors.  Students are expected to graduate in five to six years with a Regents diploma and an associate degree from either Herkimer County or Mohawk Valley community colleges.

In Herkimer, P-TECH will offer quality assurance and advanced manufacturing courses.  In Utica, students can learn semiconductor manufacturing and financial services management.

Check out the rest of this article and information at:  Utica OD site:  http://www.uticaod.com/article/20150112/News/150119963#ixzz3ObxCJboK

RIP - Lynn Stillman

Sorry to hear of the passing of Lynn Stillman, 63, of Brookfield, died January 7, 2015. Arrangements by Paul Funeral Home, Brookfield.  

Read more: http://www.uticaod.com/article/20150108/News/150109543#ixzz3OLWD6bHq

FREE! Income Tax Preparation Available to Madison County Residents....

If you are a Madison County resident who earned less than $53,000 this tax year, you may qualify to have your tax preparation done free of charge.If you are a senior citizen 60+, you are eligible for free tax return preparation regardless of income.  Trained community volunteers can help you with special credits, such as Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly for which you may qualify. Easy electronic filing puts your refund in your hands in two weeks.

 

In Madison County, appointments will be available at Community Action Partnership for Madison County in Morrisville, Department of Social Services in Wampsville, Caz Cares in Cazenovia, and Gorman Community Center in Oneida. To arrange an appointment, please call Community Action Partnership for Madison County at (315) 280-0889. For 60+ an appointment in Madison County, please call Madison County Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program at 684-3001, ext. 103.  Before calling, check the remainder of this link for a list of in formation you will need and further details ....CLICK THIS LINK to the MADISON COUNTY COURIER :  http://madisoncountycourier.com/?p=59905#more-59905

SWAMPSVILLE - State of the County aka the Annual "WHINE" !!!

Another year of whining & blaming from Madison County Board of Supervisors...blame it on the constituents, the State mandates, but don't mention your own fat 16% SUPERVIORS' salary increases and free health insurance  while you stick it to the TAXPAYERS with a 8.4% tax increase..... and in the same year the County receives a $12 million windfall from the Oneida Nation settlement!

Check out the Oneida Dispatch article  (http://www.oneidadispatch.com/general-news/20150107/becker-delivers-state-of-the-county-address  ) and full transcript of Chairman Becker's STATE OF MADISON COUNTY ADDRESS... aka "The Annual WHINE" ....Mr. Becker needs to put on his "big boy pants" if the first thing he can do is whine about his constituents criticisms...  and BEGINS the speech whining about his constituents......who the hell are we to "second guess" our representatives???...somehow he thinks voting someone into office make them omniscient!!?   We voted them into office to "rule"?   Sorry, but last time we checked, it was a democracy and he pretty well shut off any public comment with the new Public Comment Rules...as for the "frequent" and "vicious" attacks he should ask if there is a "reason" or is he just paranoid? Nobody claims that this is an easy job.  Just the burden is not being shared and these insurance perks make it look worse.  And a 16% salary increase on top of it...and hide it in the budget.  With this kind of treatment us taxpayers should be paranoid!!! 


Nice of him to NOT TO MENTION their 16% salary increase or their NO CONTRIBUTION/TAX FREE health & retirement benefits....where was that in the "message" to Madison County??  Pathetic --- the average "part-timer" supervisor receives these SUPERIOR benefits to those of the FULL TIME workers!!!   If anyone should be whining it's the TAXPAYERS....There are CONSTITUENTS out there who work a helluva lot harder at FULL TIME JOBS and receive NO WHERE NEAR what these Supervisors get for their PART TIME JOBS, while the rest of us "eat cake".   

To quote our Supervisor, John Salka's FACEBOOK response to these criticisms:  " " The issue of the health insurance for the supervisors is officially beat to death.  I challenge anyone to say, with all honesty, that they would refuse and option to cover their family with good insurance, especially when they have a sick child.  If they say they would refuse they are simply  lying or willing to sacrifice thousands of dollars for principle's sake......"

AVERAGE SUPERVISOR (2015 BUDGET) EARNS:
AVERAGE (19):

SALARY = $16,200  
INSURANCE = $19,500 (Tax FREE - NO CONTRIBUTION)
RETIREMENT = 2,400  
TOTAL = $38,100 AVERAGE

Becker's PART TIME salary & benefits are included above.  

BECKER Salary = $30,000  
INSURANCE = $29, 221  
RETIREMENT = 5,753   
TOTAL = $64,974 

DON'T Let BCS School Board TURN THEIR BACK ON OUR VETERANS!!!

Check out today's issue of the WATERVILLE TIMES...BCS Cannot Decide If they shoul give Property Tax Exemptions to our Veterans! The School Board wants your input...

         Based on the article,  Superintendent Jim Plows "doesn't want the Board to feel any pressure to grant the exemption".    Board  members (Whitaker/Karns & Rogers) are "on the fence", but based on their comments, tend not to grant the exemption based on the "cost to taxpayers" and I quote, with these exemptions "it would be more difficult to pass the next budget"!     
          The Board doesn't  want to "burden the tax payers"?  Certainly didn't seem to bother them when they put together the 14.5% budget increase.  Now they want to take it out of our Veterans'  hides -- and tell us we can't afford them -- yet didn't even take the time to evaluate what the "cost" would be...I mean, how many Vets from WW2, Korea & Vietnam can there be in this District???  
          Regardless, the Board and Superintendent ask the tax payers each year to put Mega Millions into unnecessary space and ball fields, Cadillac health & retirement benefits, yet question a commitment to the people who REALLY SERVED our country?
          The Board has asked for your input, so  CALL YOUR BOARD MEMBER AND SPEAK UP FOR THE VETS...OR SHOW UP at the special school board meeting and  public hearing for the exemption on WED JAN 14 at 7PM - but call your BOARD MEMBERS NOW.... these vets  put their lives on the line for you and your country...the least we can do is call up or show up...but for God's sake DON'T SHUT UP!! Pick up a copy of the Waterville Times for full details on front page. 

These are the Board Members and Superintendent's names:
Jim Plows - Superintendent
Bernard C. Whitacre, President
Jeffrey Beehm, Vice President
Gerry Elliott
Sean Karn
Ryan Rogers