By Ashley M. Casey

Associate Editor

While pandemic restrictions keep citizens from attending town board meetings in person, several residents of the town of Cicero made their feelings known about the possibility of higher taxes in 2021. Town Supervisor Bill Meyer read written comments submitted by residents into the record at the Oct. 14 town board meeting, which marked the first part of the public hearing on a proposed local law that would allow the town to exceed the state-mandated tax increase cap of 1.56%.

Town Councilor Mike Becallo said it would be “unconscionable” for the town board to raise taxes given the economic devastation the pandemic has wrought.

Councilor Nancy White said the town is facing tough decisions and can expect far less aid from New York State than in a typical year. She shared what she learned during a recent webinar on the subject.

“They were adamant in preparing everyone for at least a 20% cut in state funds,” White said. “I don’t want to raise taxes. I don’t want to go over the tax cap, but if they are adamant that we have got to plan for a 20% cut in CHIPS [Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program], in anything else we get from the state, it’s got to come from someplace.”

Councilor Jon Karp said the 2% tax cap, which was instituted in 2011 and was set to expire this year, is a way for state legislators to blame municipalities for New York’s steep property taxes despite unfunded mandates municipalities are required to pay for. The 2019-20 NYS budget made the cap permanent.

“The people who passed the tax cap — which is our representatives in Albany — get to point the finger at us when constituents go to them and complain about their property taxes going up,” Karp said. “New York is the land of the unfunded mandate and the state passes a lot of costs down to us … and then tells us we have to pay for it.”

Meyer read emails and letters from a number of residents wanting to weigh in on the tax cap.

“I would like to voice my concerns about raising taxes instead of tightening pursestrings. People are out of work due to the chaos the pandemic has caused and there is no end in sight,” wrote Richard Barber, a new resident of Cicero.

Laura Dewey noted that Cicero has exceeded the tax cap the last several years.

“I have seen many people leave Cicero because of overtaxing and extremely congested traffic,” Dewey wrote. “We need a break, not higher taxes.”

Joseph Peters, who has lived in Cicero since 2008, said he has contested the rising reassessment of his home and found the process “adversarial.” He also cited the town’s new highway garage as a factor in climbing taxes.

“The former supervisor’s Taj Mahal, the new highway department garage — which came in over budget and was touted as only costing taxpayers the price of your family out for pizza and wings per $100,000 of assessed value for the next 10 years or so — will now be increased as well, especially since the town of Cicero has been proactive in increasing assessments,” Peters wrote.

Joyce Villnave wrote to suggest the town board delay voting on the tax cap until the 2021 budget has been reviewed and made available to the public.

Thomas Beaulieu criticized Meyer’s extension of Cicero’s state of emergency until Nov. 10 because it prevents residents from attending meetings and hearings in person. He urged the board not to approve any budget presented by the supervisor until town hall is reopened.

“You were not elected and handed an open checkbook by the citizens of Cicero. Please vote no on the proposal,” Beaulieu wrote.

Supervisor Bill Meyer said if the town does not exceed the tax cap, Cicero faces “major layoffs and major reduction of services.”

The public hearing on the tax cap waiver was slated to continue at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21. The town board plans to vote on the 2021 preliminary budget and set the public hearing for the budget.

Visit bit.ly/ciceroyoutube to view meetings of the Cicero Town Board and Cicero Planning Board live or after the fact. 

Also on the agenda

• Park programs: Cicero Youth Bureau, Parks and Recreation Director Teresa Roth briefed the board on the parks department’s summer and fall activities.

“While many of our traditional programs and events such as our day camp program and summer concerts did not run, we did have great success with some outdoor programs such as paddleboarding, sunset yoga, Pilates and tennis camp,” Roth said. “We started a summer walking club and an indoor youth art camp.”

The parks department has also offered virtual programming for children and adults. The CanTeen connected with Cicero-area youth over social media and at local parks.

Throughout the pandemic, the Cicero Senior Center continued to provide PEACE Inc. senior nutrition lunches, which it now offers five days a week. The center reopened Oct. 5 for in-person activities.

Visit cicero.recdesk.com to learn more about current recreation programs.

• Body cams: The Oct. 14 town board meeting wrapped up with a resolution to purchase 10 body-worn cameras for the Cicero Police Department. At the previous week’s meeting, Councilor Karp and Supervisor Meyer disagreed over the authority of the team appointed to negotiate with Cicero Police Benevolent Association.

In an email to the police negotiating team the weekend following the Oct. 7 meeting, Supervisor Meyer said he did not recognize the authority of the negotiating team the town board voted to appoint in January and said it was improper for Karp to propose the resolution. He reiterated his opposition at the Oct. 14 meeting.

Town Attorney Robert Germain said the negotiating team — made up of himself, Karp and Police Chief Steve Rotunno — was appointed by a majority vote of the town board “in an exercise of legislative power.” In January, the town board voted 3-2 to designate the team, with Meyer and Councilor White voting against the measure.

Despite Meyer’s opposition, the resolution passed 4-1.