Document Actions
Transfer tax spending is committee's focus
by
Jan Larraine Cox , Staff Reporter
—
last modified
Aug 27, 2008 03:35 PM
Gazette Advertiser
The first meeting of Red Hook's Community Preservation Fund Committee occurred last Thursday night at 7:30 at Red Hook Town Hall. The purpose of the meeting was to create a plan for investing transfer tax funds in the Town of Red Hook.
The newly formed committee of seven residents met with Town Planner Ted Fink and Supervisor Sue Crane to set a plan of action. In May of 2007, voters in Red Hook approved the real estate transfer tax. Today, homes purchased in Red Hook that exceed the Dutchess County median sale price are taxed 2 percent of the difference between the price of the home and the county median price. Money collected from the transfer tax is put into the Community Preservation Fund and is earmarked for things like open space preservation and smart growth initiatives. Committee member Susan Ezrati of Tivoli said, "Our mission is to develop a project plan that will enable us to prioritize how to use the funds raised through the transfer tax. The money raised is never enough." Another member, Victor Behorian, said, "$230,000 isn't chicken change, but we're not buying a farm with it either." Crane said that because of the slow real estate market, less money is coming into the Community Preservation Fund through the real estate Transfer Tax. The advisory board consists of representatives from diverse backgrounds, including farming, commercial land development, commercial real estate appraisal, architecture, and local government. The Red Hook Town Board had received letters of intent from prospective committee members, and voted to confirm each of the seven members on June 10. At the Thursday night meeting, the committee agreed to meet on the first Thursday of each month, and to have an alternating chairperson run each meeting. Ted Fink, who runs GreenPlan, Inc. in Rhinebeck, is working on an action plan document outline for the advisory board to review at its next meeting. In the meantime, the seven members agreed to read the town's open space plan and New York State Town Law 64H: "Town of Red Hook Preservation Funds". Fink advised the committee to seek "protection of the rural and agricultural characteristics of Red Hook" as it is looking at the criteria and requirements of how the transfer tax funds will be spent. "The Open Space Plan is a great starting point," Fink said. "You have a great basis already; reinventing the wheel, rehashing would be redundant." Fink said that he will be "identifying different target areas" that could be used by the advisory board in their decisions on disbursement of funds. "The charge to the advisory board is to set priorities from seven points of view to decide what is important to spend the money on," Crane said. "The town board is looking for a rationale for priorities." Until consensus is reached, transfer tax funds are held by the Dutchess County Clerk, the receiver of the funds, according to Crane. The seven members of the Community Preservation Fund Committee include: Behorian, Richard Biezywski, Ezrati, Pete Hubbell, Brent Kovalchik, Miriam Latzer, and Philip Seymour. The next meeting of the advisory board will be Sept. 4. It will be open to the public.
|
