New York, NY – At least 20 City Council members have gone on record opposing Mayor Bloomberg’s bid to rescind the 7% property tax cut, saying it would cause too much pain to middle-class homeowners.
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“Many people think that raising taxes is a given, but for many of us, raising taxes is a heavy lift on people we have gone back to year after year after year,” said Councilman James Vacca (D-Bronx), who is working with Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) to round up opponents.
“You can’t go back and tax homeowners,” Felder said. “You can’t do that until you try to cut a lot more and try to reinstate the commuter tax.”
They and 18 of their colleagues have signed a letter to the mayor opposing any increase, with more expected to sign soon. Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) has not taken a stand on it.
Bloomberg scoffed at the opposition Thursday, saying the money had to come from somewhere.
“They can come up with another revenue source; we’re certainly happy to do it. They could, for example, say that their neighborhoods don’t need any services,” the mayor said.
Bloomberg needs 26 of the Council’s 51 votes for approval.
The 7% increase would generate an extra $600 million, even though the national fiscal crisis has yet to cause a falloff in city revenues.
The mayor and Council had raised the property tax rate by 18.5% in 2003 because of the budget woes created by the 9/11 terror attack. That increase was reduced by 7 points for the current fiscal year, which began July 1. Reimposing it would cost taxpayers $60 million more each month.
Bloomberg will face opposition to raising taxes from outside City Hall, too – landlords and their tenants also fear the impact. “It has a direct effect on rents,” said renters’ advocate Michael McKee of Tenants PAC.
Added Joseph Strasburg, president of the Rent Stabilization Association, which represents 25,000 landlords, “It’s a disproportionate impact, real hard on the small guys.”With Frank Lombardi.
pretty easy to be the mayor and balance the budget. raise taxes time and again. raise traffic and parking fines. and tell every agency to cut corners. easy formula
Ho no- again bloomberg with raising $ money $ can some one tell bloomberg that not everybody is a billionaire!!
let’s hope simcha keeps his word and not do what he did last time when he voted in favor of the highest property tax hike in NYC history 19 %.
is there anythink else this mayer knows except from taking more and more money out of our pockets.!! what is this guy thinking for god sakes!!! he should have a sure plus just from the revenue of the traffic fines and sanitation fines! this guy has no clue what it means paying $115.00 out of the pocket a few times a month even with someone like me. I could sometimes spend 1/2 hour to find the right spot to park but if u dear forget that your time is over at the meter (Bloombergs Bank account…..)then upssss! u pay him now $35.00 its outrages!!! DONT U DEAR TRY TO TAX US MORE!! PLEASE HELP US GOD!!
Is this a first… Simcha opposing Bloomy on an issue??? Good for them! Enough taxes.
I guess Simcha Felder has learned his lesson in the end. So for those who where complaining about not voting for Simcha, it worked. Kol Hakovod to you Simcha keep up your good work and it’ll pay off. Don’t let yourself be portrayed as a puppet for Bloomberg.
what a nerve DOOMSBERG!!!!!!!!! he has a damn nerve to say that it has to come from somewhere well why the hell from us hard working taxpayers this guy mamash has no sense of working hard and making little money i work two jobs plus my wife works where the hell am i going to come up with more money…. its one thing if you making an average salary like US TAXPAYERS to say something like this but all this crap head knows is raise taxes and taxes and taxes what a schmuck
We should do to BALOONBERG.. what we Did to FELDER
Showed him the DOOR….
Lock & Load