Romulus Town Board calls on county to share sales tax

Romulus town officials are calling on Seneca County to share the four percent county sales tax revenue with the county’s towns, villages and school districts. The vote in support of the measure was made Wednesday (June 17). It was introduced by Romulus Town Supervisor David Kaiser. All members of the Town Board present endorsed the idea.Kaiser’s motion cited a cost benefits analysis of the proposed Lago Resort & Casino in Tyre done earlier this year. That analysis predicts the county will receive an estimated $150 million in additional sales tax revenue from the project, as well as additional revenue from room occupancy taxes and the mortgage tax from the $425 million project.”Some of that money should flow from the north end of the county down South where it’s needed,” Kaiser noted. He said the sharing of county’s sales tax would help everyone.The vote on the motion followed a presentation to the board by Covert resident Charles Bosman. Bosman told the board that 42 of the state’s 52 counties outside New York City share their sales tax with towns, villages and school districts. He said Tompkins County shares its sales tax revenue, noting (for example) that the village of Trumansburg received $350,000 this year. In this area, he said, only Seneca and Yates counties do not share sales tax revenue with other municipalities.As town supervisor, Kaiser also sits on the Seneca County Board of Supervisors. After the vote he said he would present the town’s resolution to the county in the hopes of spurring further action on the measure. The sitting members of the Romulus Town Board are Kaiser, Robert “Duke” Gerlach, Ralph Walborn, Jr., Theresa Jackson and Kyle Collinsworth. The town board meets regularly the third Wednesday of each month.