County Evaluates Impact of Nuclear Plant Closure Sales-Tax Revenues
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
[FREE] Serving Philipstown and Beacon Gamers Go Pro Page 20 MARCH 3, 2017 161 MAIN ST., COLD SPRING, N.Y. | highlandscurrent.com County Evaluates Impact of Nuclear Plant Closure Concerns about electricity “until somebody can figure out what to do” with them, he said. rates and local economy According to Sutton, each reactor oper- By Holly Crocco ates for two years and then is shut down for refueling, during which about a third utnam County officials are brac- of the fuel is replaced. ing for the impact of the scheduled The proposed closure of each reactor Pclosure of the Indian Point nuclear is scheduled to coincide with the refuel- power plant in 2021, in the form of lost ing schedule, said Sutton. One unit will revenue for the county, lost jobs and the be refueled this month and in 2019, then Marie Early, Fran Murphy and Peggy Schatzle are candidates for two seats on the Cold prospect of an energy rate hike, although taken offline in April 2021. The other will Spring Village Board. See interviews on Page 3. Photos by Michael Turton a newly released study downplays the lat- be refueled next year, then go offline in ter scenario. (See Page 8.) April 2020. The closure of Indian When a reactor is refu- Point was announced “It was always intended eled, the plant takes advan- Sales-Tax Revenues Jump, in January by Gov. An- for the fuel to be shipped tage of the system being drew Cuomo and En- down to complete hundreds Town Board Members Seek Share tergy, which owns and off-site and be recycled, of maintenance tasks, em- Putnam County Finance Commissioner operates the plant near but over the course of ploying many steamfitters, Putnam says it distributes William Carlin said the adjustments, to- Peekskill in Westches- carpenters, electricians, ma- years and the evolution money by paying bills taling $2.7 million, accounted for more ter County. The plant sons and other workers, Sut- than half of the 9.5 percent rise. He also can produce up to 2,000 of the world, every single ton said. By Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong explained that the state does not reveal ex- megawatts of power. rod that was ever brought “It basically doubles the actly why adjustments occurred and noted Tony Sutton, the coun- workforce at the site,” he t least on paper, Putnam County’s to Indian Point is still at that this was not the only time Putnam has ty’s emergency services said. Contractors “descend annual sales-tax revenue rose in seen the adjustments affect its numbers. commissioner, described Indian Point.” on the plant and they work 2016 by 9.5 percent, the second- A Nonetheless, in recent years, Putnam’s the closure process to like bees to get it done” dur- highest increase of any county in New York. sales-tax income has gone up. lawmakers during a meeting on Feb. 21 of ing the three-week refueling process. In reality, the rise is less rosy than it Carlin said that from 2014 to 2016, sales- the Protective Services Committee. Sutton said some officials have expressed seems. tax revenue rose by 5.7 percent. “Certainly He noted that “spent” radioactive fuel concern that if any serious defects are According to Putnam County statistics that tells a different story than a 9.5 percent rods were not supposed to remain at the found during the remaining refuelings, the and a Jan. 30 report from the New York State increase in one year,” he said, noting that facility, which opened in the 1970s. “It reactor could be shut down earlier than Comptroller’s Office, the county’s sales-tax sales-tax income can fluctuate dramatical- was always intended for the fuel to be scheduled without a replacement supply in income grew to just over $59 million in 2016 ly. “In 2008, Putnam had the highest sales- shipped off-site and be recycled, but over place for the energy it produces. from just under $53 million in 2015. tax growth,” he noted, but a year later, it the course of years and the evolution of However, he said, Entergy must order However, most of that upswing reflects “had the highest decline in the state.” the world, every single rod that was ever fuel a year ahead of time and plan for the what the Comptroller’s Office termed “dis- Sales-tax revenue throughout the state brought to Indian Point is still at Indian large workforce that occupies the site dur- tribution adjustments” across years, due rose by 2.3 percent last year, which the Point,” he said. The rods are stored for at ing the refueling, so that scenario is un- to the arrival of late or revised returns or Comptroller’s Office considers “sluggish.” least five years in 40-foot-deep pools of likely. “The truth of the matter is, I think to unspecified “technological” tweaking. However, the Mid-Hudson Valley had water and, since 2008, removed to sealed you’re going to see them honor those [clos- Such adjustments to the data for Putnam the best regional increase at 2.9 percent. containers on cement platforms. ing] dates,” he said. and two other counties with notable in- Dutchess County revenue rose 1.4 percent There the radioactive rods will remain The governor can ask Entergy to keep creases boosted their numbers. and Westchester’s 1.3 percent. Chautau- (Continued on Page 8) qua County had the largest jump, 12.7 per- cent, after raising its sales-tax rate. New York Energy Unlike 46 of the 57 counties outside New • About 80 percent of renewable generation in the state York City, Putnam County does not share comes from hydroelectricity. (New York is home to the largest the sales taxes collected, a longstanding hydroelectric power plant in the eastern U.S.) point of contention in Philipstown, where • Most new renewable power in New York is from wind. The many tourists spend their cash. state has the potential for 140,000 megawatts of onshore At the Philipstown Town Board meet- wind energy, particularly around Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, ing on Feb. 16, Councilor Nancy Montgom- on peaks of the Adirondack and Catskill mountains and along the Long Island shoreline. ery said the $5 million rise in sales-tax revenue between 2015 and 2016, although • According to the most recent data (from 2014), New York exaggerated by the state adjustment, still residents spend $3,446 annually on energy, including “makes us wonder once again what we transportation, ranking 49 of the 50 states and D.C. By are going to do about getting” a portion. comparison, North Dakota residents spend $11,094 per year (1) and Maine residents $5,681 (7). The adjustment, she said, “does not mean there wasn’t some growth; even if there Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (eia.gov) Indian Point File photo wasn’t, we are (Continued on Page 2) 2 MARCH 3, 2017 The Highlands Current highlandscurrent.com Sales-Tax Revenues Jump, Town Board Members Seek Share (from Page 1) For Roots and Shoots, still looking to get our fair share.” these funds,” he said. Otherwise, it would see highlandscurrent.com. Councilor Mike Leonard proposed that Sales Tax Facts need to borrow the money, which is “not a the county use some of the higher revenue scenario that we would recommend.” pressures on the county budget will be to replace funds it cut from its allocation • The sales-tax rate in Putnam County Carlin also observed that the county too great to share sales-tax revenue. The for the upkeep of historic cemeteries. That is 8.375 percent and in Dutchess, uses sales tax to fund actions mandated numbers simply won’t add up.” appropriation dropped from $12,000 in 8.125. This includes the state tax by state or federal governments. “As long So far this year, the sales-tax fortunes rate of 4 percent, plus the county 2016 to $8,000, divided among six towns. as there is no meaningful mandate relief,” look promising. A chart provided legisla- rate, plus a commuter tax of 0.375 The county can afford to put at least especially given the state tax-cap that tors for a Feb. 27 meeting showed that in percent. The state’s highest rate is in January the county collected $4.47 mil- $4,000 back, he said. New York City, at 8.875. limits how much municipalities can raise Leonard said Feb. 27 that cemetery property taxes each year, he said, “the lion, or $237,300 more than the same committees from the six towns hope to • Outside of New York City, 11 of 57 month last year. convince County Executive MaryEllen counties, including Putnam, do not share sales-tax revenue with local Odell and legislators to restore the fund- governments. (None of the 11 have ing. The consistent rise in sales-tax reve- cities.) Under a formula it adopted in nue “should have delayed their need to cut 2013, Dutchess County distributes what is clearly a shameful, low amount to a flat $25 million from the 3.75 begin with,” he said. “I would have found percent it collects. Poughkeepsie a way if I was handling the county budget. receives 38 percent ($9.57 million) But then you have to care, first.” and Beacon 17 percent ($4.16 Odell relies each year on sales-tax rev- million). enue to fill county coffers. In the projected • Ninety-three percent of New York 2017 budget, it accounts for 37 percent of residents pay at least 8 percent. The projected revenue.