City Opposing NY Municipal Aid Cuts

The Ogdensburg City Council will act on a resolution Monday asking the New York State legislature to restore full funding to the Aid and Incentives for Muncipalities (AIM) program, a program that Gov. David A. Paterson has slashed by 5 percent.

AIM funding will be slashed 5 percent for nearly all North Country municipalities in the governor's budget. While state aid accounts for only about 1 to 2 percent of most smaller municipalities' budgets, it consists of 9.8 percent of the city of Ogdensburg's budget.

Ogdensburg will lose $92,785, or 5 percent of the $1,855,708 it received.

According to a resolution that city councilors will act on Monday, "any reductions in AIM funding will result in regressive property tax increases at the local level or disrupt local government budgets resulting in service cutbacks at a time when municipal governments are already under fiscal strain."

The resolution asks for the state legislature and the governor to maintain its "statutory commitment to stable and consistent funding for this program," arguing it would force property tax hikes for localities if the state reduces AIM funding.

Copies of the resolution would be sent to Gov. Paterson and to various senators and assembymen.

The city council will also vote on a resolution opposing counting state prison inmates in their home communities instead of prisons where they are serving time for the 2010 Census.

According to the resolution, "prisoners are part of the local community as long as the host community is required to provide costly police, fire and emergency services, and a reduction in population could have a financial impact on the City's eligibility for state and federal programs and funding."

In other business, the council will act on a resolution to transfer $10,066 from the general fund to the city hall equipment maintenance account to pay for the city's portion of the upgrade of the city hall telephone switch box.

The city council will also act on a resolution opposing an excise tax on beverage syrups and soft drinks proposed by Mr. Paterson in his 2010-2011 budget.

The soda tax will be at a rate of $7.68 per gallon for syrups and $1.28 per gallon or a "penny an ounce" for bottled drinks and powders.