Suburban lawmakers say only city should pay increased payroll tax to fund MTA

A group of suburban lawmakers are urging their Albany colleagues to restrict proposed payroll tax increases, meant to shore up the finances of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to businesses in the city — arguing the suburbs are already subject to “onerous” taxes without service levels equivalent to residents of the five boroughs.

Upstate Democratic Senators James Skoufis and Michelle Hinchey, Long Island Democratic Senator Monica Martinez, and upstate Republican Senator Rob Rolison sent a letter last week to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, urging her to exempt the suburbs from Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed payroll mobility tax increase on certain businesses in the MTA service area to rescue the fiscally-beleaguered transportation agency.