Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Erie County Legislature passed a measure on Thursday that will provide real tax relief, while also ensuring a road maintenance plan for county roads. The package is part of an agreement negotiated to help alleviate the tax burden and bring some assistance to Erie County taxpayers.
"I'm proud to say we are giving taxpayers an actual tax decrease. The last time homeowners saw a reduction in their property taxes was 2001," said Minority Leader and Erie County Legislator John Mills in a statement. "The tax and spend Democrat leadership in this state and county make it difficult for the middle and working class to get by. At a time when the cost of everything is skyrocketing, this agreement provides them with a bit of a break."
The terms of the measure put forth include reducing the property tax levy by $1 million for 2024.
In addition, there will be no county sales tax on home energy products during the peak months of December to February. Those home energy products include natural gas, electric, propane, wood, pellets, heating oil and coal.
"I'm glad we came to this agreement where we can help people during those particularly difficult months, when home heating bills are especially high. Reducing the cost to heat their home, as well as giving taxpayers a break on property taxes is a step in the right direction," said Erie County Legislator Frank Todaro in a statement. "We need to continue to look for ways to make living here more affordable."
With the 2% tax cap remaining in place, it's expected Erie County will save more than $80 million over the next decade with this one-time tax levy reduction.
The agreement also calls for a five-year road maintenance and repair plan, and memorializes a job vacancy account that will save Erie County money by leaving positions vacant for at least three weeks once someone leaves.
The agreement also negates a measure in newly proposed hotel tax legislation for Airbnb, VRBO and other online room rental sites that would have automatically given all proceeds from that tax to Visit Buffalo Niagara in perpetuity, without any Legislature oversight on how those funds are spent.
"As the fiscal house of Erie County, the bed tax piece was important to me. Visit Buffalo Niagara does receive a percentage of the bed tax already. But as stewards of your tax dollars, the current Legislature and future Legislators have to be able to apply a portion of those funds as they see fit to best benefit the County," said Legislator Chris Greene in a statement.
