- By Marcia E. Lynch
- News
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Following a public hearing, the Legislature voted to repeal a Local Law passed in 2012 that opts out of a section of State Real Property Tax Law providing exemptions related to construction of solar, wind or farm waste energy systems. The vote to repeal came without dissent, with Legislators Leslyn McBean-Clairborne and Kathy Luz Herrera excused.
While Assessment Director Jay Franklin has advised that construction of such residential systems has had no effect on property assessments, leaders and supporters of the Solar Tompkins program have indicated that status of the 15-year solar exemption has been a repeated concern among those who are considering participation in the program. At the hearing, nearly a dozen people urged restoration of the exemption.
In 2012, the County had chosen to opt out of the exemption since there was no distinction between residential and commercial systems in the Real Property Tax Law, and it wished to encourage the commercial Black Oak Wind Farm toward a Payment-in-Lieu-of –Taxes agreement. Black Oak, it was noted, has since begun the process of pursuing a PILOT agreement, regardless of the status of the alternative energy exemption.
The restored exemption applies only to the County portion of the property tax.
Recognition of Tompkins as Top Digital County
Chair Mike Lane, and the Legislature, congratulated County staff for achieving national recognition for Tompkins County as one of the nation's top digital counties by the Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties. The award identifies best technology practices among counties nationwide, recognizing leading examples of counties that use technology to improve services and boost efficiencies.
Chair Lane publicly thanked and recognized Deputy County Clerk Maureen Reynolds for achievement of one major element spearheaded by her office and Information Technology Services—an innovative use of digital records scanning system for records management that saved the County $5.5 million over a physical records facility and has been shared with all other municipalities in the county. Mr. Lane said the Legislature is very proud of the efforts done to digitize County records and to reach out to other municipalities. Clerk Reynolds stressed that the program is not just those offices' work but a successful collaboration.
More information on the County's award may be found on the County's website.
County Achieves Highly Favorable Results in Recent Bond Sale
County Finance Director Rick Snyder reported to Legislators that the County's recent sale of more than $9.5 million in one-year Bond Anticipation Notes, with funds received July 14, came at a very low interest rate of only 0.182%--that's about half the rate of the net interest rate (0.358%) paid on notes one year ago. Mr. Snyder said the interest payment for the $9.5 million in BANs will be less than $17,500.
Approximately $5.8 million of the proceeds went to refinance the one-year Bond Anticipation Notes from last year, and the remainder of approx. $3.8 million went to finance new projects, which include the Human Services Building Expansion, the Public Safety Building Renovation, and the reconstruction of roads and bridges.
Among other items, Chair Lane, as Chair of the Legislature's special committee on the future of the Old Library site, announced that he has received a letter from Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services Director Paul Mazzrella, withdrawing his organization's Expression of Interest in developing the Old Library site. The withdrawal reduces the preliminary proposals currently under review by the committee to five. Review of those proposals continues July 16.
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