Politics & Government

[POLL] Stringer Wants the Commuter Tax Back, What Do You Think?

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer wants to bring back the MTA commuter tax. What do you think?

Manhattan Borough President and possible New York City mayoral candidate Scott Stringer said Tuesday that he intends to pursue plans to revive an MTA commuter tax that was repealed in 2009. Stringer wants to compel suburban riders to put up for a 0.45 percent tax that he said could generate as much as $725 million for the transit system. 

The New York Times received Stringer's idea skeptically calling it "a safe way to campaign on a platform of higher taxes"- by shifting the cost outside the city.

Surrounding politicians quickly razzed Stringer's idea. State Senator David Carlucci of Rockland County nixed the idea in an official statement. “While this might be good politics in New York City, it’s flat out bad policy for New York State as a whole,” said Carlucci. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also expressed his disapproval saying a commuter tax was "penny-wise but pound foolish" for New York City.

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Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino hasn't made an official statement yet, but it's a safe bet he won't be supportive of the idea either.

In July 2010, Astorino vigorously opposed the tax saying, “Yes, the MTA is hurting, but so are we. They’re just adding insult to injury by piling on one more tax and giving businesses another reason to leave the state.” 

Find out what's happening in Ryewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On April 1, the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax enacted in 2009 –sometimes called the MTA payroll tax– was rolled back from school districts in New York City and surrounding counties and from small businesses with less than $312,000 in quarterly payroll expenses as well as self-employed individuals netting less than $50,000 annually. 

Stringer seems to think the repeal was a bad move that should be undone.

"Nobody, no legislator, no commuter believes the fiscal condition of the MTA is sustainable. So let's go do something and change it. The mortgage recording tax is one good idea, but the commuter tax has been part of the city financial situation for decades and decades. We never should have lost it in a stupid political deal," said Stringer.

Stringer said revenue generated from a commuter tax could be used for MTA operating expenses. His plan would also impose a property tax on real estate transactions in the regions MTA serves.


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