Common Council hears tax, nuisance law concerns

ONEIDA, N.Y. >> Third Ward Councilwoman Andrea Hitchings and city resident Bob Britton raised a number of ongoing issues during the recent Common Council meeting.

Hitchings spoke to ambiguities involving tax credits for the elderly and water billing.

“Some of the residents in my ward have reached out to me on a few issues,” Hitchings said. “This gentleman requested the senior citizen tax exemption through the local assessor’s office and he realized that we still have a 1990s-era policy. It’s a local law and we still include Social Security income in the exemption calculation, and the tax law states it’s up to the locality or municipality whether to include Social Security.”

Oneida City Attorney Nadine Bell agreed with Hitchings that the income rates were outdated. “If you want to update your city tax code you may want to update that to reflect current incomes. It’s not just your senior citizens, it’s veterans. The income levels have changed.”

Hitchings said she would review the issue with assessor Becky Lennon. “We want to see if it makes sense to go through the local law to make some changes that are more reflective of the tax code today.”

Hitchings also said the city may have an issue with water billing.

“We’re looking into it. As you know our water rates went up (on) Jan. 1, but the bills went out late,” she said.

On Dec. 19, 2023, Oneida’s Common Council voted on the 2024 water rates, water service charges, and sewer rates.

Water rates have a minimum charge of $22, an increase of $3 from 2023. It’s $4.20 per 100 cubic feet $4.20, an increase of $.55 from 2023.

Sewer rates have a minimum charge of $10.69, the same rate as 2023. It’s $7.56 per 100 Cubic Feet $7.56, an increase of $.99 from 2023.

The city’s most recent water bills were from Oct. 25, 2023, through Jan. 24, 2024.

“So theoretically through December 31 should be billed at the lower rate. It was not,” Hitchings said. “So, in my opinion, we need to look into this a little further. I don’t think our system has the capability to do a two-tiered billing system.”

“If you want to update your city tax code you may want to update that to reflect current incomes. It’s not just your senior citizens, it’s veterans. The income levels have changed.”

— Third Ward Councilwoman Andrea Hitchings

“We should’ve erred on the more conservative side,” she continued. “And if we don’t have the capability to do two types of billing then for the sixty-seven days in 2023 do the lower rate and the twenty-four days in 2024 do the lower rate. Increase the rate on January 25, 2024. I’m sure many of you must have realized that and haven’t come forward. But stay tuned…there will be developments on that as we work through it.”

Britton raised concerns over trash collections and burned-out properties.

“We are the only city that makes you put your trash cans behind your house,” he said. “Now if your house is on the corner then you can’t put your trash cans behind the house. A certified letter worth eight dollars and sixty-five cents for a trash can that’s been there for thirty-five years. That’s ridiculous. This is the only city that makes you do that. I know…i checked.”

Britton also spoke to properties destroyed by fire.

“We have four properties that caught fire last year. We have two on Elm, one on North Street, and one on Park Avenue. Nothing seems

to be done with these properties. It’s an eyesore. Why can’t something be done? They’ve had time to make up their minds. Either fix it, sell it, whatever.”

Britton then turned to Oneida’s nuisance abatement law, which he considers inadequate.

“Can’t we fix this so (the) police can use this as a weapon in their arsenal? They can not use it the way it is. Let’s fix this so they can use it so the police ain’t going to the same place over and over and over again, and the landlord does nothing,” he said. “If you fix this so the landlord will be held accountable it will help. It gives police another weapon in their arsenal.”

“You need to fix this. We’ve had it for years,” he continued. “It’s no good. Let’s fix it. What good is this if they can’t use it? I mean, they’re beatin’ their heads against the wall. They’re trying to figure out a way to use this and they can’t use it. Let’s fix it so they can.”

Bell said the law has an indirect impact on a property owner.

“There’s a process and that process has been used,” she said. “It’s like someone having a violation, it ends up being fixed before we have to issue a citation. Same idea. This process has been used with certain properties where they’ve been notified of violations and that action be taken, so things have been accomplished.”

Second Ward Councilman Steve Laureti requested a copy of the law and Britton provided one.

“I’ve talked to the police chief and he said this is useless,” Britton said.

“We’ll talk to the chief about this,” Mayor Rick Rossi said.