Claudia Smart, a Volney business owner and resident, presents the COST viewpoint and Ted Jerrett, chairman of the Oswego County Legislature, offers the county s perspective. Our membership is countywide and encompasses all age groups and includes both business people and residents. The goal of our group is to help cause a repeal of the sales tax and a reduction of county spending. We believe that the implementation of a county sales tax would be detrimental to business in Oswego County. Increased sales taxes would affect all parts of a business balance sheet.
Sales tax raises the cost of utilities, supplies, equipment and transportation.
With such far reaching expenses it greatly increases the cost of overhead. At the same time, if the business has a taxable service it immediately raises prices 3 percent, even before any allowance for increased costs. In many businesses the profit margin, after all expenses, is reduced to single digits. Also, the competition factor with other businesses in surrounding counties must be considered. In today s competitive markets the margins to close a sale can boil down to the extra 3 percent savings from the sales tax.