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It is the opinion of SWNU that...
Fact: The City of Oneonta currently has 52% of its property base listed as tax exempt.
What will adding another exempt property mean to the tax payers in the city? Increased demand on services with reduced tax income to pay for those services. Click the links below to see:
Governing Magazine — “Tax‑Exempt Properties Rise as Cities Cope with Shrinking Tax Bases”
Urban Institute Report - "The Property Tax Exemption for Nonprofits and Revenue Implications for Cities"
Fact: The RSS proposal for 164 River St. is for an unlicensed facility.
As an unlicensed facility, those receiving mental health rehabilitation and drug rehabilitation will NOT be supervised by licensed and trained medical personnel. Housing will not be contingent upon a resident's medication adherence or participation in rehabilitation services. A facility labeled “unlicensed” isn’t operating under the formal regulatory/licensing regiment required by the state (or federal) for that type of facility. That means fewer formal requirements, less external oversight, and often less transparency.
Fact: The City of Oneonta has said NO to RSS.
No, not every resident has said ‘no’ to RSS in the city. Many have shown support for RSS. There’s a whole community group dedicated to it; you’ve likely seen their signs sprinkled around town. In fact, it was the City of Oneonta Common Council who said ‘No’ to RSS. In May of 2025, the Council voted 5-3 not to sell property at 27 Market Street to RSS for a proposed low-income housing development on what is currently a vacant lot — a lot which RSS had drafted plans for, and the mayor previously stated would be "the perfect spot” for low-income, mixed-use housing.