Brooks Ends FAIR Plan Lawsuit

By Bud Lowell

Rochester, NY – Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks officially buried her controversial FAIR tax plan Monday afternoon in a joint news conference with the director of the Monroe County School Boards Association, Jody Siegle.

Part of Brooks' plan helped close a county deficit by intercepting 28-million dollars' worth of sales tax revenue sharing that would have gone to suburban school systems under the county's Morin-Ryan sales tax plan. The school districts responded by going to court, and the courts ruled against the county.

On Monday Brooks let the deadline for filing a final appeal pass, and she made a joint announcement with School Boards Association Director Jody Siegle. Both said the controversy was bad for the community, and they have agreed to settle the lawsuit out of court. They also agreed to work jointly for full funding of the suburban schools.

Brooks said the county will try to pay back the 28-million it withheld this year, but it will have to be in installments because the county doesn't have the money in hand. Brooks and Siegle say details haven't been worked out, but their staffs are working out a plan.

Monroe County Legislature Democrats who were opposed to Republican Brooks' tax plan claimed vindication.

Legislature Minority Leader Harry Bronson called the announcement a victory for school children and taxpayers in Monroe County. He also suggested that the county ought to consider paying the 28-million dollars back to the schools with interest.

Loss of the county sales tax revenues forced Monroe County school districts outside the City of Rochester to either cut back programs or raise taxes. Increases in state school aid helped some districts, but many decided to cut back.

School Boards Association Director Jody Siegle says being able to rely on the county aid next year and the promise of a refund for this year will help the districts stabilize their finances. School tax rates have to be locked in by the end of August, so any refund agreement with the county probably won't help taxpayers for the coming school year.

Brooks and Siegle say both sides will now lobby together in Albany for solutions to their mutual revenue problems. As for boosting next year's county revenue gap by 28-million dollars, Brooks says her administrative team and county legislators will work to close it.