BUFFALO, N.Y. - Canadian shoppers are being credited for helping to boost Erie County's sales tax revenues over the US$400 million mark for the first time.
Financial officials with the county, which includes the city of Buffalo, tell the Buffalo News that sales tax receipts for 2011 increased by 4.5 per cent to just under $401 million.
County officials attribute much of the growth to strong retail sales fuelled by Canadian shoppers.
A recent report by the county comptroller's office projects that the county would end 2011 with a $26 million budgetary surplus once the year's finances are tallied.
Sales tax revenue in the Buffalo area has fluctuated in recent years as the economy sputtered.
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What you need to know about the Canada-U.S. border deal
Canada and the U.S. are each other's largest trading partners. More than $1.5-billion in goods cross the border each day.
The "Action Plan on Perimeter Security and Economic Competiveness" is a road map, not a formal agreement, aimed at making trade and travel across the border easier and more efficient.
<blockquote>The plan focuses on four key areas.
1. Addressing threats early
2. Trade and economic growth
3. Building on existing border enforcement programs
4. Emergency and cyber infrastructure</blockquote>
Addressing threats early
Canada and the U.S. will be making a number of changes aimed at addressing security threats as early as possible and reducing the impact on trade and travel.
The two countries will:
<blockquote>1. Begin tracking and recording entry and exit of travellers across the border and verifying the identity of foreigners for the purposes of immigration decision making.
2. Begin conducting joint threat assessments and sharing core information.
3. Working together on developing best practices to counter threats from violent extremists.
4. Begin aligning ground- and air-cargo security to reduce the need for re-screening. Canadian travellers will no longer have their bags screened twice when transferring flights in the United States.</blockquote>
Facilitating trade and economic growth
Canada and the U.S. will be making a number of changes aimed at facilitating trade and economic growth
<blockquote>The two countries will:
1. Expand programs for low-risk travellers, such as NEXUS, to make border crossing more efficient.
2. Upgrade infrastructure at key crossings to ease congestion.
3. Begin using radio frequency identification technology to read documents automatically as vehicles approach the border.
4. Create a unified approach for preclearing goods crossing by rail, sea or road.
5. Set up a single window for companies to send required info only once.
6. Make it easier for low-value shipments to clear customs
</blockquote>
Building on pre-existing border enforcement programs
Canada and the U.S. will make a number of changes to existing border enforcement programs.
<blockquote>The two countries will:
1. Make Shiprider a permanent program. The Shiprider program allows U.S. and Canadian maritime law enforcement officials to operate independent of the border to help combat crime.
2. Begin testing the Shiprider model for land enforcement. This means Canadian officials may work on the U.S. side of the border and vice versa.
3. Begin using voice-over-Internet technology so law enforcement officials can communicate across the border with greater ease.
</blockquote>
Enhancing emergency and cyber infrastructure
Canada and the U.S. will be making a number of changes aimed at enhancing emergency and cyber infrastructure.
<blockquote>The two countries will:
1. Work together more closely on international cyber-security efforts.
2. Enhance joint readiness for health, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear events.
3. Jointly develop strategies for managing traffic on the border in the event of an emergency.
</blockquote>
Sovereignty and human rights
Both governments are stressing the all the initiatives in the plan were developed under two principles.
<blockquote>1. That each nation has the right to act independent of the other in accordance with their own laws and interests.
2. That both countries will endeavour to promote human rights, privacy, the rule of law and civil liberties.</blockquote>
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First Posted: 02/21/2012 7:47 am Updated: 02/21/2012 12:11 pm