Metroplex Collects Millions While City Hall Cuts Back

Metroplex Collects Millions While City Hall Cuts Back

By Orlondo Otis Hundley II, Candidate for Mayor of Schenectady 2027

Schenectady families are being asked to pay more and accept less. City Hall is cutting overtime for workers, scaling back youth programs, raising fees and fines, and preparing residents for another round of property tax increases. Yet at the very same time, Metroplex continues to collect millions of dollars every year, not through local votes but by statutory authority.

Metroplex was created in 1998 with the power to take a dedicated half percent of Schenectady County’s sales tax. That revenue, which now totals millions annually, is directed not into city or town budgets but into Metroplex controlled projects. While municipal governments across Schenectady County are struggling to balance budgets, Metroplex spends freely on developments it selects, often favoring high profile or luxury projects that look good in ribbon cuttings but do little to ease the everyday burdens residents face.

This contradiction has become impossible to ignore. On one hand the city tells residents to brace for fewer services, fewer youth opportunities, and higher costs of living. On the other, Metroplex continues to hold onto a revenue stream that could stabilize local budgets, preserve programs, and reduce the pressure on property taxpayers.

The real issue is not whether Schenectady can afford youth programs or overtime for essential workers. The real issue is whether our community will continue to allow Metroplex to siphon off tax revenue while families, seniors, and young people are told to tighten their belts.

As mayor I will demand that our city and county leaders re-examine this arrangement. Sales tax revenue should serve the people directly, not sit in the hands of a development authority that answers to no voters. If our residents are asked to sacrifice, Metroplex should not be immune.

Schenectady deserves fairness, accountability, and a budget that puts people before ribbon cuttings. The time has come to restore balance and make sure every dollar collected in this county works for the families who live here.

- Orlondo Otis Hundley II
Candidate for Mayor of Schenectady, 2027