Metroplex doles out $3.3M in sales tax

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bethany Bump

Towns and villages in Schenectady County last year received $3.3 million — the most ever — as their share of Metroplex Development Authority sales tax revenue.

The economic development agency — which receives 0.5 percentage points out of the county’s 4 percent sales tax — took in $11 million in 2011. Meanwhile, the county saw overall sales tax revenue increase by 7.89 percent.

Thirty percent of the revenue Metroplex takes in is sent directly to towns and villages by the county, while the remaining 70 percent — $7.7 million in 2011 — stays with Metroplex to help finance economic development projects.

“We continue to invest in new projects that create additional jobs, property tax and sales tax,” said Metroplex Chairman Ray Gillen. “So we’re bringing projects into the community that are creating more sales tax dollars, and as a result, the amount of revenue that goes into local governments is increasing. More people are spending in the county, and this points to an overall positive trend in the local economy.”

At a glance

A breakdown of local governments’ individual share of Metroplex sales tax revenue in 2011, and since 1999:

Town of Rotterdam $1.08 million in 2011; total $12.9 million

Town of Niskayuna $814,918 in 2011; total $9.17 million

Town of Glenville $813,592 in 2011; total $9.3 million

Village of Scotia $288,983 in 2011; total $3.56 million

Town of Duanesburg $214,749 in 2011; total $2.45 million

Town of Princetown $79,205 in 2011; total $959,852

Village of Delanson $14,250 in 2011; total $171,389

With the local share determined by population, the town of Rotterdam netted the most among county municipalities last year, at $1.08 million.

The city of Schenectady receives none of the local share from Metroplex revenues since the economic development agency was set up to directly benefit the city.

In a news release issued Wednesday, Schenectady County Legislature Chairwoman Judy Dagostino said the county is pleased to provide the local share of Metroplex sales tax revenue to towns and villages.

“This funding is used by local governments to defray the tax burden on homeowners,” she said.

Overall, Schenectady County ranked 14th among upstate New York counties in the percentage increase of sales tax revenue. In total, the county saw an additional $6.5 million in sales tax receipts in 2011, for a total $88.98 million collected last year.

County officials have cited a “robust economy” as the reason for growth, pointing to the opening of ShopRite in Niskayuna and the Target store in Glenville slated to open in the fall as potential sales tax revenue boosters in 2012.

“One of them will certainly be the opening of the Glenville Target,” said Gillen. “That will help, especially with that location being right next to Saratoga County. You had people who would traditionally leave the county from Glenville to shop, and now, they will be able to in the county. This is just further evidence that our county economy is recovering.”

Local governments have received a total of $38.48 million in sales tax revenue from the county since Metroplex started in 1999.