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Kingston, NY – With the New York State legislative session wrapping up, top officials of Ulster County and its local governments on Sunday urged the State Assembly to follow the Senate and approve an extension to the county sales tax. WAMC's Hank Gross reports
This is not a new tax, but rather an extension that requires state approval every two years without which the county, City of Kingston and towns would lose about $24 million in revenue. Much of that revenue comes from the over $400 million county tourism industry.
County Executive Michael Hein, Kingston Mayor James Sottile and Shawangunk Town Supervisor John Valk, chairman of the county Association of Supervisors, have banded together urging the Assembly to approve the bill.
Without it, all levels of local government would be in financial trouble, said Hein.
"There would be a significant need for cuts, and the bottom line is, completely unnecessary," he said.
The county's total sales tax is four percent and this one percent must be re-approved in Albany. It amounts to $21 million to the county, $2.8 million for the City of Kingston and $732,000 for the towns.
Hein said if the issue of unfunded state mandates was resolved, there would be no need for the tax extension. Local governments across the state have been calling for mandate relief, particularly if the state adopts a two percent tax cap, which lawmakers in Albany have been pushing in recent days.