OSWEGO – Oswego County residents will find more relief at the pumps this June, the Oswego County Legislature moving the previous $4 gas cap down to $3 during a special meeting held yesterday, April 26.
The county’s tax cap follows New York state’s gas tax initiative which runs from June 1 through December 1, 2022.
Legislator Frank Castiglia Jr. presented an amendment to the resolution, offering the legislature the option of lowering the price per gallon to $2 instead of $3. The proposed amendment did not pass.
According to Oswego County Administrator Philip Church, the estimated revenue loss during the six- month-$3 per gallon period is around $1.1 million. Castiglia also proposed a second amendment to the resolution, asking for the end date to be moved from December 1, 2022 to September 1, 2023.
Minority Leader Nate Emmons noted the county’s inability to change the language in the resolution per New York state law; with objection from Legislator Castiglia stating the legislature does have the ability to change the end date without consideration from the state. Chairman James Weatherup reiterated that they cannot according to the statute. The resolution was unanimously passed.
“I would like to thank the legislature for taking this back up. I do think it’s a good day for our county residents that we have maneuvered ourselves to reflect what Onondaga County did and to their $3 cap,” Emmons said. “Gas prices are really high…I think this is a win in many respects to our county residents and I appreciate people coming today.”
Also passed during the meeting was a resolution to renew a public mass transportation contract in the county. David Fares of Fulton spoke during the public session portion of the meeting, urging legislators to provide a new public transportation route throughout the county to the new Amazon facility opening up in Liverpool.
“Amazon is hiring 1,800 people in Liverpool. What I’d like to see is a bus system throughout the county that would move people from Mexico, Palermo, [and] Volney into Fulton; Hannibal [and] Granby into Fulton; Oswego [and] Minetto into Fulton. And then from Fulton either up Route 57 into Phoenix or Phoenix comes to Fulton, then the bus goes up into 481,” Fares said. “To me it’s a win, win, win situation. I would definitely like to see that move forward. I think it’s critical for the county – I think it’s a tipping point for us.”
Fares went on to talk about the possible semi-conductor chip plant still under consideration for the Town of Clay, emphasizing that fact that another county will likely step forward first with their own bus plan if Oswego County doesn’t move quickly.
“We’ve had a lot of bad press here lately, so I think we need to hit a home run here. That’s my opinion,” Fares said.
Renewal of the Oswego County Mass Transit contract was unanimously approved. Following is the last item on the agenda that was also unanimously approved:
- Donation of expired ballistic vests for use by civilian volunteers assisting the Ukrainian people and military in the fight against Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine
The next regularly scheduled Legislature meeting will be held on Thursday, May 12 at 2 p.m. To view the full agenda, please click here.
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As usual Castiglia tries to help the taxpayers and Emmons and Weatherup are looking out for the money grabbers and all the little minions voted along the party lines. Sad