County Sales-Tax Loss
Largest Across NY State
‘Baseball, College Students’ Among Culprits
COOPERSTOWN – Only two counties in New York State saw their sales tax drop in the most recent report – Hamilton in the Adirondacks and Otsego, county Treasurer Allen Ruffles reported to the county Board of Representatives this morning,.
“It was very disheartening,” said Ruffles.
The latest sales tax payment from Albany was $736,000, down 19 percent over 2019, the largest drop in the state, he reported.
The cancellation of the youth baseball camps’ seasons was a reason, of course, but on a question from county Board Chair David Bliss, R-Cooperstown/Town of Middlefield, Ruffles acknowledged SUNY Oneonta sending its students home added to the hit.
“Baseball, boating, hiking and college students,” the treasurer said, ticking off the reasons for the drop.
Otsego County bidding sale is this week. Perhaps County employees will make profits for themselves and will result in money for County Rrepresentive Oberacker(R) to sponsor another fruitless study.
How many more people will be made homeless in Otsego?
So the houses got sold and more people made homeless. People leaving New York and we have lost a seat in Congress. However the county budgets this windfall yearly. Otsego County employees are permitted to buy at tax sales then flip for huge profit. Still waiting for Otsego county to enforce ethic laws.
Interesting read! Cancelled events and students leaving really show how local economies can be affected by things like campus closures and tourism downturns