The Drumbeat of a Sales Tax hike

Listen to the drum beat of sales tax increases in New York.

Erie County’s Legislature has approved an increase in the sales tax by a penny to 9.25%. Now it goes to the state legislature. Erie County says it needs the money to cover rising Medicaid costs passed down by the state.

Oneida County’s request to bump up its sales tax to 9.75% has the approval of the state legislature and only needs the signature of Gov. Pataki. The move will cover the Medicaid increases, local officials there say.

They are the latest in a string of counties, big and small, who are relying on the sales tax to cover the mounting Medicaid costs.

Meanwhile Pataki visits our region this week shilling for Medicaid reforms that some critics say isn’t enough to slow the growth of Medicaid costs on counties.

County Executive Maggie Brooks says she will work to have Pataki’s reforms, and his budget, approved.

But the question remains – does Brooks truly believe this will be enough to deal with the multi-million dollar Medicaid increases? Does Brooks and the Monroe County Legislature hear the distant drum beats of sales tax increases?

It’s too soon to forget that former County Executive Jack Doyle proposed a sales tax increase for 2004, which was shot down then.

How soon before we hear the leaders in Monroe County raising the idea of raising the sales tax?