A new study shows New York’s economic recovery since the Great Recession has been uneven across the state.
Over the last seven years, sales tax revenue has increased steadily in New York City, while the rest of the state, including Long Island, has struggled. That’s a problem for communities like Suffolk County that rely on sales tax revenue to pay the bills.
Mark LaVigne, the deputy director of the New York State Association of Counties, said Long Island’s elected officials don’t want to raise property taxes to make up for the sales tax revenue.
“Those counties receive more revenue to run their programs and services from the sales tax than they do from the property tax,” he said. “So when see numbers like we are seeing that are flat or just growing a minor bit, we’re concerned.”
LaVigne said Suffolk County sales tax revenue has grown less than one percent so far this year. That’s still higher than the state average, but New York City has grown almost three percent.
