Senator Michelle Hinchey and Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan Deliver Gas Tax Relief for Ulster County Drivers

HIGHLAND, NY – Today, in response to skyrocketing gas prices, Senator Michelle Hinchey and Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced historic action taken at both State and County levels to relieve the pain at the pump and deliver significant savings for Ulster County drivers. A measure championed by Senator Hinchey in the recently enacted State Budget temporarily cuts the State gas tax by 16 cents per gallon and gives County governments the authority to do so as well. Leading the charge at the County level, Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan worked with the County Legislature to cap the County sales tax on motor fuel by 5 cents, bringing combined County and State-initiated savings to 21 cents per gallon.

The bolstered gas tax relief for Ulster County drivers will begin on June 1, 2022, and the State’s tax cut alone will provide $585 million in relief for New York State residents this year.

Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Soaring gas prices and record inflation are taking money out of working families’ wallets at a time when people can’t afford yet another financial burden. We need to do everything possible to cut costs for everyday New Yorkers, and I’m proud to have championed and delivered a gas tax suspension that gives our community members needed relief at the pump. The State’s historic action, combined with the leadership here in Ulster County and their subsequent reduction, will help remove some of the enormous financial stress families are facing and put money back into people’s pockets when they need it most. No one should be breaking the bank to pay for their basic necessities, and I will continue to fight for measures that make life more affordable for upstate New Yorkers. I thank Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan and the Ulster County Legislature for their support in helping drivers across our county.”

“With the historic rise in gas prices and inflation, I’m proud that Ulster County is meeting the urgency of the moment, providing desperately needed gas tax relief,” Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said. “I want to thank Senator Michelle Hinchey for her efforts at the State level and our partners in the Ulster County Legislature for coming together in a bipartisan manner, and I want to let residents know that we will continue to work urgently and aggressively towards solutions to help ease the pressure on our community during these unprecedented times.”

“As New Yorkers continue to feel the strain of higher prices at the gas pump and on their home heating bills, we must use every tool available to lower these costs,” said Rep. Antonio Delgado. “That’s why I have called on Congress to immediately consider legislation to suspend the federal gas tax and I applaud the efforts of Senator Hinchey and Ulster County Executive Ryan to ease the local gas tax burden on residents. I will continue pushing for this relief at the federal level in order to lower costs for working families, seniors, and small businesses throughout our state and across the country.”

“With projected sales tax collections coming in higher than anticipated, cutting taxes at the pump will mitigate the pressure on our residents,” Legislator Brian Cahill said. “With the partnership between Senator Hinchey, County Executive Ryan, and my colleagues in the Legislature, I am proud of our work to help the residents of Ulster County with record rising gas prices.”

“As a legislator, I believe that we should do whatever we can to assist our residents during these turbulent economic times, and I’m proud to have sponsored this resolution in the Ulster County Legislature to provide gas tax relief,” Legislator Kevin Roberts said. “I want to thank Senator Michelle Hinchey, County Executive Pat Ryan, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support of this much needed assistance for our residents paying higher prices at the gas pump.”

1199 United Healthcare Workers East Member and Kingston resident Gabriel Valles said, “I work in the mental health unit at HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston. There are only ten of us who are qualified to do this job. On any given day one or more of my co-workers call out-- can’t come to work because they don’t have the gas money! They have to wait for pay day.  Think about that. The first spend in their paycheck goes to gas.  There is still food and rent.  Thank you Senator Hinchey for once again championing the needs of essential workers.”

Lloyd Police Chief James Janso said, “I want to thank New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey and Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan for being so instrumental in cutting the New York State and the Ulster County gas taxes. As the Town of Lloyd Police Chief, a town of Lloyd resident and taxpayer, this savings in the reduction of gas prices will be a much needed and welcomed relief with the rising gas prices not only for my family but for the members of the police department and their families which reside in the Town of Lloyd and Ulster County.”

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