Albion village asks county for boost in sales tax amount

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 23 March 2023 at 9:58 am

Photo by Tom Rivers: Main Street in Albion is shown on Wednesday, including the businesses for Laura Loxley Vintage Inspired Goods and 39 Problems.

ALBION – The Albion Village Board is asking the Orleans County Legislature to consider an increase in the local sales tax for the village.

The county took in about $22.5 million in local sales tax in 2022, according to the state comptroller.

The county shares $1,366,671 of that with the 10 towns and four villages. The Village of Albion received $165,688 of that amount in 2022, which is 0.7 percent of the total in the county.

The towns and villages have been frozen at $1,366,671 since 2001. The County Legislature gave a slight boost in 2001 after the sales tax share was frozen in 1996 to the towns and villages.

Clarendon Town Supervisor Richard Moy is trying to rally the towns and villages to seek an increase in the local sales tax revenues.

He sent the Albion Village Board a letter and a sample resolution, seeking the sales tax share for towns and villages go back to the 14 percent in 1996.

The $1,366,671 to the towns and villages represents 6.1 percent of the total local sales tax in the county.

“It’s a reasonable ask,” Albion Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley said during Wednesday’s Village Board meeting. “We want an increase.”

County Legislator John Fitzak attended the village meeting. He said legislators are aware some towns and villages are pushing for more in the local sales tax revenue.

“We’ve seen the resolution,” he said. “We’re not in a position to make a determination right now because we don’t know what the state budget will be.”

County legislators are concerned the state budget could shift some Medicaid costs, at a $1 million hit for the county budget.

The Murray and Kendall town boards have approved resolutions asking the Legislature to increase the sales tax revenue for towns and villages, Fitzak said.

The sales tax rate is at 8 percent per taxable $1, with the state getting 4 cents and the county 4 cents.

Orleans County’s sales tax revenue is up by $4.8 million or 27 percent in the past three years. In 2019, the sales tax collections were at $17.7 million, followed by $19.4 million in 2020, $21.8 million in 2021 and $22.5 million last year, according to the state comptroller’s office.