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July 14, 2008

Mayor, supervisor discuss shared services

Plattsburgh city, town look for ways to cooperate

By DAN HEATH

PLATTSBURGH -- The city and town of Plattsburgh already engage in a number of shared services, and not just with each other.

Speaking at a Plattsburgh Noon Rotary Club meeting, Mayor Donald Kasprzak and Supervisor Bernie Bassett spoke about efforts under way and others being considered for the long term.

Kasprzak said the city has been meeting with the town, county, City School District and Plattsburgh State since April on ways to share.

"We are often criticized that we don't do enough" sharing of services, he said.

The fact is, the city shares with all of those entities, Kasprzak said.

Examples include a joint asphalt contract with Clinton County, a combined fuel bid with the City School District, the working relationship between Plattsburgh State University Police and the City Police Department and the $290,000 grant the town and city obtained from the Shared Municipal Services Incentive Program through State Sen. Betty Little's office.

Kasprzak said other long-term possibilities discussed include a central purchasing program, geographic-information-system mapping, health-insurance purchases, training programs, contract-negotiation services, engineering services, a sign shop, Web-site development and tax collection.

Bassett said the city and the town have a positive relationship.

"I feel very confident, as the mayor does, that if we need something done and can do it, we do it."

Bassett said the Town Highway Department works with the highway departments in the towns of Peru, Saranac, Dannemora and Beekmantown to share equipment and crews.

Some sharing can't be done, legally, Bassett said, and some isn't done because there is no mutual benefit. One example of both is the town's inability to contribute toward efforts to bring fishing tournaments to the region.

Bassett said that while the hotels, restaurants and gas stations benefit, the two municipalities receive little gain. Also, the town is legally prohibited from giving money to the city or another municipality, he said.

One good thing that came out of the town not contributing to fishing tournaments, he said, was formation of a committee that worked on an occupancy tax, which was recently approved by the state.

"We now have the solution that will support so many events," Bassett said.

TAXATION

On another topic, Kasprzak was asked about the recent move to put Lake Forest Retirement Community and Pine Harbour Assisted Living Center on the tax rolls. He said it was initiated by the Plattsburgh City School District.

"If it is initiated, I have a responsibility to pursue it," Kasprzak said.

He said almost 40 percent of the properties in the city are tax exempt, for a number of reasons.

Kasprzak said the bottom line is that every year the city should be sending out questionnaires to determine a property's right to tax-exempt status and that those properties should go on the tax rolls if they don't.

State Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward said there are far too many tax exemptions across the state. As an example, she said more than $4.5 million in exemptions exist in Willsboro alone, a town of about 1,900 residents.

Sayward urged support for a bill co-sponsored by Little that would allow non-profits to continue exemptions for the property they use for their function but not on all their holdings.

"If there is money being made, taxes should be paid," Sayward said, to a loud round of applause.

dheath@pressrepublican.com

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