NEW YORK — Taxpayers in Rockland County will pay less on their energy bills starting Thursday, December 1, when the residential energy sales tax elimination takes effect, County Executive Ed Day announced Tuesday. news now that winter temperatures are starting to drop.
The measure is estimated to save county taxpayers about $4 million this winter and nearly $12 million annually going forward.
“As households continue to face rising energy costs this heating season, I am proud that my administration and the legislature have worked together to eliminate the energy sales tax, which is equivalent to a reduction in the ownership. County 8.4%,” Ed Day said. “I pledge to continue to find ways to ease the burden on families to the best of our ability.”
The elimination of the tax fulfills a commitment made by the County Legislature and County Executive last year when the 2022 County Budget was amended, adopted and signed into law. The Residential Energy Sales Tax was implemented in 2012 and will expire in 2025 after being extended due to the coronavirus crisis.
Additional efforts to achieve significant tax relief include:
- A zero percent county property tax increase for 2022.
- Elimination of county motor vehicle registration tax in 2022.
- Reducing the county’s portion of the sales tax on fuel purchases by limiting the tax charged to the first $2 of a gasoline purchase. It is valid until February 2023.
- Proposal to increase property tax to zero per cent by 2023.
The Residential Energy Sales Tax was applied to all sources of energy, including natural gas, propane and diesel for home heating, as well as electricity, including electricity used for heating, to keep lights on and any other use.
“Finding ways to reduce taxes is not an easy task, but I am proud to say that by working together, the county government has found a way and the payoff will be very real for families during the coldest days of the year,” he said the leader of the legislative minority, Lon Hofstein.
Tax reduction actions follow due diligence to ensure the County’s tax position remains robust. Major credit rating agencies have continued to upgrade the county’s credit ratings as the county’s deficit has been eliminated and final payments on a retired bond to aid the deficit reduction effort are expected to be completed in 2024 , among many others. the tax status of the county.
Rockland’s fiscal crisis was triggered in large part by the collapse of the national housing market and subsequent recession, which led to an extreme reduction in local tax revenues.
“It has been more than a decade since we were forced to raise taxes and add new ones, with the support of the State Comptroller’s Office and credit rating agencies, to help us deal with the fiscal crisis,” he said. the legislator said. by the Committee on the Budget and Finance Michael Grant. “It’s a huge relief to be able to make these significant cuts now to benefit our worthy taxpayers.”
