That would be the sound of other people's money helping Ontario County grow the way it wants.Its Board of Supervisors approved the largest sales tax increase in nearly 50 years Thursday. What's one-third of a penny on every dollar anyway? Harmless, right?
“The lesser of two evils to me is the sales tax,” said Rocky LaRocca, D-city of Geneva.
The money raised would pay for Ontario's largest-ever capital improvement project; $160 million worth for things like expansion at Finger Lakes Community College. Who could argue?
And even by raising its sales tax to 7.5 percent, Ontario's remains half a penny less than neighboring counties, including Monroe.
It's become such an easy solution. Lawmakers don't have to raise the taxes of property owners. Just those people coming into the community looking to do business.
“It’s very easy for us to sit here and spend other people’s money," said Lloyd Kinnear, R-town of Canandaigua, one of three board members to vote against the sales tax hike. "The county needs to work more as a business and less as a political spending machine.”
Should the state legislature sign off on the sales tax hike (likely) and there are no modifications made to the capital plan at a July 31st vote, Ontario County will have its bounty.
You'll hear it every time you shop there.
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Ontario County is seeking nearly $100 million in expansion products, which includes the FLCC project estimated at $62 million
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