HTN: Buffalo Tea Party

Anyone who passed by the Buffalo waterfront this weekend could have been taken back to 1773. Over 300 people showed up for a "Buffalo Tea Party" tax protest, complete with "No Taxation Without Representation" signs. The group will be passing out flyers door-to-door this week, with another rally planned for April 18th.

HTN: County Tax Mistake may Prove Costly

As if Erie County doesn't already have enough budget worries, an error which resulted in the county undercharging multitudes of taxpayers could end up in a two-and-a-half-million-dollar cash deficit. Approximately a quarter of a million people who live in Buffalo and eight other locations were not charged enough in their property taxes. The culprit was a single line in a computer program which appeared on the tax bills. The mistake was not uncovered until January 23rd.

HTN: UB Students Help at Tax Time

Tax time is just around the corner. To help residents prepare the forms, accounting students at the University of Buffalo are providing their services free of charge. Residents and students who earn less than 42-thousand dollars are eligible to take advantage of the free tax prep. The accounting students are all certified by the IRS and will be available for ten weeks beginning on February 7th.

State STAR Rebates Start

Check your mailbox for a few extra bucks from the state. Rebate checks are being mailed out starting this week to homeowners who qualify for the 2008 Middle Class STAR Rebate program. More than one-point-one billion dollars is expected to be turned back to taxpayers by the end of October.

Lawsuit Filed Against NYS Business Grants

A lawsuit has been filed against New York State to stop the practice of providing public grants to private businesses. The suit says that Gov. Paterson and legislative leaders are violating the State Constitutuion. The group is being represented by Buffalo lawyer James Ostrowski, founder of Free New York, a taxpayer advocacy group. Ostrowski spoke with Donahue and Moore this moning on WECK.

School Boards Association Opposes Cap, Most Members Disagree

The New York State School Boards Association remains officially opposed to that property tax cap, even though many in its member boards would support it under certain conditions. Communications Director David Albert says a cap would tie the hands of school boards and administrators, but a poll shows that 75-percent of school board members would support a cap if the state provides mandate relief in return.

Albany Bill to Cap Property Taxes

Governor David Paterson backs a proposal from the New York State Commission on Property Taxes that would cap property taxes and school taxes. The governor's bill would cap property tax increases at four-percent per year, but allow districts outside of New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers to raise their proposed caps beyond that on a yearly basis if approved by local voters. Ken Adams, CEO of the Business Council of New York State, spoke with Donahue and Moore this morning on WECK.

Smoke Tax Increase In Effect

Smokers are getting sticker shock today. The New York State sales tax on cigarettes has gone up another dollar and a half. The total tax is now 2-dollars and 75-cents a pack, the highest in the nation. State officials are saying the increase will bring in 265-million-dollars a year and perhaps cause some smokers to quit.