Duffy opposes County Intercept Legislation (Yes, that legislation)
Did anyone catch this article in the City newspaper?
Duffy won’t sign county agreement - screams the headline.
Bob Duffy is taking a $50-million stand on principle. The Rochester mayor says he won’t sign an agreement with the county that’s designed to preserve the city’s share of sales-tax revenue.
In short, the city gets a portion of the county sales tax revenue after it intercepted and sent to the State to pay for Medicaid, Mayor Duffy believes the Tax intercept legislation is wrong and the State legislation is vague. So, on principle, he is not signing the annual agreement between the city and the county to share revenue. It could cost the city $50 million but the County will still provide revenue whether Duffy signs it or not.
Per Duffy -
“My belief is you stand by your principles,” he says. “You disagree with something, you do it. You take a chance on incurring other pain elsewhere.”
If the County has to sign an agreement with the City I’m assuming with other municipalities (i.e. the affected towns and villages) have to sign the agreement as well? I wonder if they will take a stand on principle as well? So he is not going to accept the revenue. The County is going to send it anyway.
County attorney Dan DeLaus said at a meeting earlier this month that if a municipality declines to sign an agreement, the county will send the money anyway.
“If they didn’t want it, they could return it,” he said.
Duffy is against the Intercept plan. Where was he over the past few months? I mean as the Democrat’s most popular local leader has he been leading the charge or publicly speaking out against the plan? I haven’t seen it but I’m open to being corrected in the comments.
What is interesting is that the County will still give the city its share under the intercept legislation. The bigger question is will Duffy return the money? Sounds like a little game of high stakes poker.
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If he keeps the money, it won’t be much of a “stand”.
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Wow John, you and I agree! And since I’m into cliches today, let me just call this a classic example of “Having your cake and eating it too”.
I like Bob Duffy. I liked Bob Duffy when he was police chief. He never dodged the issues, he got right in the face of the camera eye and told it like it was, and he wasn’t afraid to tell people how he felt, even when situations of senseless murder and crime were involved. I trust him. I suspect the money will be placed in escrow and that he has a plan in place, but his plan, in all likelihood, involves all interested parties within Monroe County.
Duffy has a way of last-minute announcements that always seem to be well thought out and planned. I expect nothing less from him with this situation.
Always expect the unexpected with Duffy. I think he’s doing an exceptional job. He (unlike Broomarik) is earning every cent he makes.
I suppose we will see.
Expect the unexpected? What exactly does this mean? If I lived in the city - (I don’t) I would expect open communication, inclusion, and all that. I would expect a foundation of good progressive values where the city resident benefit. I don’t want the unexpected.
The unexpected in my mind is side conversations with Maggie, backdoor deals and policies were a few benefit at the expense of the many.
Truth is Duffy’s policies affect me in the suburbs. A strong vibrant city is the key to Monroe County. He could, if he wanted to, be the key to unseating as you say - Broomarik whom I believe do not have policies in place for long term sustained growth of Monroe County.
No - expect the unexpected means we as a society have grown accustomed to the “expected” responses from politicians. The thing I like about Duffy is that he doesn’t say what you expect him to say, he says what he means, and that does not always run parallel to the popular consensus of the politico group. He’s not afraid to do what he knows is right, even when it makes him unpopular with the political consensus.
I can’t see him in secret meetings at all. He’d be the one to walk in the room with the camera rolling, just to capture the moment for all the public to see.