If we’re going to host solar and wind for the rest of New York State, we need to be compensated.
And though he’s not giving up the fight against “unfair and inequitable taxation policies” that go hand-in-hand with that—far from it—that’s how Schoharie County Board of Supervisors chair Bill Federice kicked off his list of 2022 goals Friday.
The list also includes goals for the jail, economic development and taking another look at sales tax distribution, but it’s renewables that loom the largest.
“This is nothing less than the taxation without representation imposed on us by the British 250 years ago,” Mr. Federice said.
“We’re being treated just as poorly.”
While renewables may be good for the environment, the state’s tax policies for solar and wind projects will cripple host community revenues at the same time they’re destroying our quality of life and economic opportunities, Mr. Federice said.
They create no long-term jobs and with the rest of us forced to absorb higher property taxes—renewables will be taxed at about one-third the going rate--no business is going to want to move here, he said, so goodbye to the Fairweather Plan.
The battles with solar and wind also distract local governments from their real work—work that might create real growth, Mr. Federice said.
What do we do?
Work together with other counties to fight for the ability to tax renewables just like any other business, even as we seek fair PILOTs and look at fees for things like annual Code Enforcement inspections, viewshed restoration, and environmental justice.
As for the jail, Mr. Federice named a committee to evaluate SEEC’s RFP (see related story.)
“The time has come to relieve the county of the burden of the costs associated with the building with no tax or economic benefit to the county,” he said.
“The last thing we want is for the former Public safety Building to become another Guilford Mills.”
Mr. Federice also called for revisiting the logic behind sales tax revenue distribution to towns and villages, “I don’t think anything should be off the table,” and called for better integrating the IDA into the county’s economic development strategy.
Then he returned to renewables.
His other goals are quite attainable in 2022, Mr. Federice said; addressing the impact of energy will take longer.
“But we must be committed to a strategy which will hopefully yield some victories we can build on.”