County Budget, MCC Bond Agreement Passes After Long Legislative Session
By: Chris Wannagat
Updated: December 12, 2012
It was a long night at the Monroe County Office Building Tuesday, but legislators have approved County Executive Maggie Brooks' new budget.
The $1.18 billion dollar budget passed on party lines.
It includes no increase in property taxes, but does include a snow removal fee for homeowners in the suburbs.
Democrats tried to fight it calling it a tax, despite Brooks' claims of no new taxes.
One reason Tuesday's meeting went so long was the debate over the MCC bonding agreement for a downtown campus.
Legislators had to even make a move to extend the meeting beyond midnight.
In the end, the move passed unanimously 29-0 and garnered applause.
This vote secures $28 million for the school.
Many hope this will allow the school to move from the Sibley Building to an old Kodak building on State Street.
The plan though is not site specific.
MCC's president still called this a big win.
"Those are discussions that are continuing in terms of acquiring properties, so it makes complete sense for it to be not site specific at this point," said President Anne Kress. "The reality is we need the funds for a downtown campus and that's what we achieved this evening."
Despite the location debate, both sides agreed the new bond will be a huge beneift to MCC students.
