Where will your 2007 NYC Tax Dollars Go?

Mayor Bloomberg presented his State of the City address on January 17th. Most interesting, due to the revenue surplus from real estate taxes, he announced tax cuts for residents of New York City. Nice going, Mayor Mike!

But I have a few questions. I don’t own real estate so I won’t benefit from the reduction in real estate taxes. I don’t buy that many clothes so I won’t feel the benefit of his ending the tax on clothing sales in NYC. There are other benefits he proposed that don’t affect me.  So that got me wondering – where do my city taxes go?

Timely question. The Mayor may promise and pronounce but the City Council actually approves how our taxes will be spent. It’s holding city forums these weeks in all five boroughs. There’s one tonight in Brooklyn.

Another thing – did you ever watch Channel 74 on Time Warner Cable TV? Check out the schedule on their site to see the Council’s hearings. I viewed one episode in late 2006 and learned so much about how our branch libraries receive and spend tax money. Such necessary institutions for our democracy but how they’re forced to struggle to make difficult choices trying to match the public’s needs to what they can afford to deliver.