Legislature Wins Majority of Court Battle over Tax Increase

Judge John Michalek has ruled that all but one of the changes that the legislature made to the County executive’s budget were valid.

The judge ruled that the 2009 budget will contain a property tax increase of about 1.6% and not the 4.8% that Collins was asking for.

Collins had claimed that legislators made over $10 million in either illegal or invalid changes to his budget, but the judge found that $6.8 million of those changes were legal.

“The legislature’s attorneys successfully presented its case for cutting expenses in the budget.  The County Legislature acted properly in amending the 2009 County budget to reduce the property tax increase proposed by the County Executive,” County Legislature Chair Lynn M. Marinelli (D-Buffalo, Tonawanda) said.

Collins’ office says it will not appeal the ruling.