White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Hold on, Mr. Bloomberg, Say Spano, Legislators: No way on Commuter Tax

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION CHRONICLE. From Westchester County Department of Communications:County Executive Andy Spano and the Democratic members of the Westchester Board of Legislators expressed Tuesday, their unequivocal opposition to any effort by New York City to re-impose the so-called commuter tax.

The tax – an income tax imposed on suburbanites who commute to New York City for their jobs – was eliminated in 1999 by the state Legislature. But now New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and others have spoken of it as a way to help deal with the city’s budget problems.

Spano called that an “unacceptable solution.” “We in Westchester will fight any effort to re-impose this commuter tax,” Spano said.

He added, “Westchester’s commuters are already helping the New York City economy. They shop in the city and eat in the city, helping keep retail businesses going and adding millions of dollars in sales tax revenues to the city. To ask Westchester residents and those from other suburbs to subsidize New York City further is just not right.”

Spano noted that as many as 58,000 residents of New York City “reverse commute” each day into Westchester. “We wouldn’t impose an income tax on them, and we don’t think it’s right for New York City to impose such a tax on our residents.”

Spano added, “I am keenly aware of the city’s financial situation. We in Westchester face a deficit next year of $102 million due to state-imposed programs. However, I would not ask city residents to resolve our deficit problems, and the city should not be asking Westchester residents to resolve its crisis.”

These feelings were echoed by the leadership of the Democratic-controlled Board of Legislators.

Lois Bronz, chair of the board, called the possibility of re-imposing the commuter tax “a very troubling development.”

“Westchester has its own fiscal difficulties, many of them similar to New York City’s,” Bronz said, citing such things as unfunded mandates. “This is a quick fix that imposes an undue burden on the people who are already helping to sustain the city’s economy. It’s totally unwarranted and unfair.”

Bill Ryan, the Legislator for White Plains, and vice chairman of the board and a former state assemblyman, said, “Putting an additional tax burden on the suburbs is clearly wrong – we shoulder enough. New York City’s extraordinary funding needs must be met by increased state aid, not from our county commuters’ pockets. Mayor Bloomberg is going after the little guys when he should be focusing on Albany which is really in a position to help New York City. Bloomberg and the suburbs need to join forces to get Albany to stop its policy of shifting costs to local governments while withholding adequate financial assistance.”

Clinton I. Young, Jr., the board’s Democratic majority leader, said that it was “outrageous” for Mayor Bloomberg to look to Westchester for financial assistance.

“He should look further north, to Albany and the Governor’s Mansion, and get assistance from the cause of his troubles and he should start by demanding that the state assume the costs for Medicaid,” he said. “Westchester has always been supportive of New York City. We’ve always gone the extra mile for New York City. But now the Mayor wants our residents to go that extra mile barefoot through a thicket of fiscal thorns, and we’re not prepared to do that.”


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