BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — Ogdensburg City Councilor John Rishe, with support from school officials and a task force, has been pushing for the state to help pay for services provided by the city.

He has frequently pointed out that the state owns large amounts of city property that have been left to fall into disrepair and in some cases the property is prime real estate that can’t be developed.

His push has garnered support from North Country state representatives, but a recent amendment to a state bill that could bring payments in lieu of taxes to the city has him concerned.

At a recent council meeting, Rishe said the amendment, which he says was not supported by the task force, would exempt Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority property from the payments.

Rishe said he does not believe the amendment should stay in the bill because it sends the wrong message.

City Councilor Dan Skamperle, who’s been supportive of Rishe’s plan, said the amendment was added at the request of Assemblyman Scott Gray. He said the amendment needed to be added to even be entertained at the state level.

Skamperle said that while he understands the concerns, he believes something’s better than nothing and that concessions are part of the process.

City Councilor Michael Powers told city officials that he would discuss the matter with Sen. Mark Walczyk, whom he was set to meet with soon.

In the past, Rishe has noted that the state owns over 50 percent of the city’s waterfront property, which is a figure he said surprised him.

He said the city is suffering because it is unable to make use of some of its most valuable property.

“These tax exemptions severely hamper the city’s ability to provide governmental services, including public safety, without exceeding its constitutional taxing limit or raising local real property taxes in a city that already has the highest combined tax rate in the North Country and one of the highest combined tax rates in the entire state of New York,” a resolution brought forward by Rish says.

Rishe said the exemptions exceed $8.2 million in lost revenue to the city, county and school district.

Rishe has also stated that the losses are even greater due to “their underutilized, blighted, and deteriorating conditions and the fact that they comprise over 50 percent of the city’s valuable St. Lawrence River waterfront, hampering future private sector growth and development.”

Rishe has supported Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTs) based on the fact that the state makes PILOT payments to other cities in the state in recognition of their tax-exempt status, including Albany and New York which receives over $22 million annually in PILOT payments.