Skoufis Secures Tax Relief for Hudson Valley Families, Historic Investments in Infrastructure, Schools, Parks in State Budget

Senator Skoufis’ proposal to create a gas tax holiday— encompassing both motor fuel taxes and state sales taxes—was included in the final budget, running from June 1 to December 31. This measure translates to urgent relief at the gas pump for struggling families, while also helping to drive down the cost of goods in the grocery aisle by reducing trucking/shipping costs.

Lawmakers have approved new STAR rebates for middle-class property owners as well as accelerating a phase-in of middle-class income tax cuts, all to keep more money in New Yorkers’ pockets.

Senator Skoufis continued his fight for truly universal pre-kindergarten, successfully securing an additional $125 million above and beyond last year’s allocation and creating 1,651 new pre-k slots in his Hudson Valley communities–the most new seats added to any Senate District. This investment marks the start of a three-year phase-in to completely universal, statewide pre-kindergarten.

Schools in the Senator’s district will see an 18.1% increase in state education aid, a historic increase  that will keep a lid on school property taxes while also providing for expanded educational programming, student services, and more. 

Senator Skoufis successfully fought for unprecedented infrastructure funding for the Hudson Valley , such as the long-awaited expansion of Route 17 to three lanes in each direction. Skoufis will be announcing road repaving and bridge projects throughout the Senate District in the coming weeks and months that will bring about quality-of-life improvements for area commuters and residents.

Senator Skoufis successfully fought for an additional $50 million for state parks which will jumpstart two key, transformative projects in the Hudson Valley, the details of which will be announced in the coming weeks. 

As our small businesses struggle to recover from pandemic ups and downs, the adopted budget creates a $250 million tax credit for COVID-related business expenses, meaningful tax cuts for small businesses, and an expansion of both the “hire-a-vet” and restaurant return-to-work tax credits.

Long an outspoken advocate for reforming New York’s failed ‘economic development’ policies, Senator Skoufis successfully negotiated an agreement to conduct an independent, comprehensive audit of all taxpayer-funded incentives and corporate subsidies. Taxpayers deserve to know if they are getting a return on investment for the subsidies they’re underwriting.

Senator Skoufis has partnered with these underpaid, overworked employees throughout his time as a state legislator and knows they deserve the respect of decent pay for their hard work. While there is still more to do, these pay raises are an important start to ensuring the viability of these essential workforces.