2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021
PILOTS: Payment(s) in Lieu of Taxes
The Upstate economy is such that the City of Utica has to offer incentives to people and firms to invest and locate within the city. One way is to offer "Pilots", whereby a developer doesn't have to pay the standard taxes as most property owners do. Instead a deal is made to pay a smaller fee (or nothing in the initial years) and eventually the total tax towards the program's end.
Note: Pilots have another related development tactic called Leasebacks.
Politicians just love BIG construction projects, but it's city residents, area & state taxpayers that pay https://t.co/nPORuDwPB5 #pilots
— #NoHospitalDowntown (@NoHospitalDwtn) May 21, 2017
Oh, MVEDGE did the estimates! Yet location of parking garage(s) unknown, parking fees unknown, 1, 2 or 3 M.O.B.s?, any PILOTs? Rock solid forecasters, not so much...a billion spent, just 13 jobs to date https://t.co/dROaFkr72S
— #NoHospitalDowntown (@NoHospitalDwtn) November 14, 2017
Per @bobbyo1967 to @uticaOD "You came out for "Database of Deals" but not my "Utica List of PILOTs" OD, please read https://t.co/7BVCFfgwBD
— #NoHospitalDowntown (@NoHospitalDwtn) August 11, 2016
Consider - The 2013 annual report of the Utica Industrial Development Agency. It reports a debt of $22 million and further reveals a PILOT to "ADIRONDACK BUILDING" awarding exemptions of $103,680.72
The report totals 21 projects; Total Exemptions: $1,359,792.77 , Total PILOT Paid: $467,015.32, and Net Exemptions: $892,777.45
March 28, 2010 - In this 2010 story, Utica’s shrinking tax base tied to lagging economy, we read...
"Tax breaks: Both ECR International and F.X. Matt Brewing Co. were given payment-in-lieu of taxes agreements during 2009 by the Oneida County Industrial Development Agency. Those agreements still generate annual revenue for the city, but it’s less than the property tax payments the two companies had made previously."
Here it seems that breaks given to companies, are made-up by shifting city costs onto homeowners and other property owners.
June 13, 2009 - In this story, Adirondack Bank head balks at hike in payments in lieu of taxes, a POLIT deal's expiration is questioned as developer suggests to walk away.
A discussion of PILOTS in a Cornell University Student Thesis (PDF), reported on page 98...
"To attract a hotel, city leaders offered a thirty-five year tax deal, a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) that taxed not on property assessment, but on room revenue and a flat fee. The hotel does not pay Oneida County taxes or Utica City School taxes. The Hotel Utica does, resulting in a tax bill for the former of $1,072,172 and for the Radisson of $683,550."
You can help, please join us on Facebook #NoHospitalDowntown. Also consider adding your voice to Hundreds of People Saying, "No Hospital Downtown". Get to know BUD, that's the future of the Columbia Lafayette Neighborhood!
Meets At:
▪ Tramontane Cafe Wednesdays 10-11:00AM
▪ Citation Services Fridays 4:30-5:30PM
Contact us for more information
