Supervisors to look at sales tax sharing with municipalities, school districts in Wayne County

Wayne County is one of those in the region that shares its sales tax revenue with municipalities.

It’s an arrangement that some counties have in writing, while others do not execute. In recent months, Seneca County has began exploring it through committee- for a second time after doing so several years ago.

Now though, supervisors in Wayne County are going to examine the way it does this. The County even shares sales tax revenue with school districts, which is a major sticking point for some supervisors.

School districts receive $5.4 million out of $52.4 million collected, according to the Finger Lakes Times.

That number has been capped for decades- dating back to 1991.

“There’s no definitive plan in the works,” said County Administrator Rick House. “It needs to be reassessed where we are as far as our redistribution is concerned. It’s prudent to reassess the way to do everything. We reassess all our fiscal obligations, and this is just part of it.”

Board Chairman Ken Miller, Palmyra Town Supervisor, said it’s not part of any insidious plan to hurt communities or school districts. It’s simply a matter of figuring out the best path forward.

“There’s no ulterior motive,” he told the Finger Lakes Times. “It’s just appropriate to look at sales tax distribution. Most of the towns (and villages) rely on this for revenue. I would like to have the Board of Supervisors review and make sure it’s still in line for the year 2021. … We are not doing anything behind anybody’s back.”

Staff Report

FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].