Taxpayers in the Town of Tonawanda can breathe a little easier. Funding has been approved to make up for the loss of one of the Town's largest sources of revenue.
When the Huntley Power station, on River Road, closed just over a year ago the Town, Ken-Ton School District, and Erie County lost a combined $6 million in annual tax revenue.
So Senator Chris Jacobs and Assemblyman Robin Schimminger pushed to increase funding for a program that aids communities dealing with the closing of a coal fired power plant.
"What we have done, in Albany, is to mitigate, through this program, the tax revenue impact of that closure," Schimminger said.
The program has also been extended from five years to seven years to provide a more generous payout schedule. But Schimminger says, given the state's role in closing the coal fired power plant - along with increasing aid - he says the Cuomo Administration should do more to rebuild the tax base.
"There is ample acreage, many square miles, of land available for development on the western end of the Town of Tonawanda," Schimminger said.
Senator Jacobs said, amending the budget will further protect Tonawanda taxpayers from the disastrous effects of closing the Huntley Station.