To Oppose the Abolition of the Requirement that the State Legislature Approve County Sales Tax Increases Beyond 3%

We, the undersigned, strongly oppose the efforts of the New York State Association of Counties to abolish the present requirement that any increase in a county's share of sales tax beyond 3% be approved by the State Legislature. If this proposal is approved, counties would be able to increase their sales tax rates at will with nothing to stop them.Such increases in sales tax rates will disproportionally hurt the poor the most who can ill afford an increase in the necessitites of life at the checkout.The present system of requiring the approval of the State Legislature for county sales tax increases beyond 3% provides an important check against reckless spending by counties.While times may be difficult economically, county budgets should not be balanced on the backs of those who can afford a sales tax increase the least.Please listen to the people of the Empire State and not NYSAC and defeat this ill-conceived, ill-timed proposal.