Supporters of the proposal argued the legislature has a responsibility to act on affordability concerns.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Erie County Legislature has rejected a Republican-backed proposal that would have capped the county’s gas tax to apply only to the first $2 of every gallon of fuel.
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Instead, the county will preserve the current system in which the tax is calculated as a percentage of the per-gallon price.
The measure sparked debate among lawmakers over whether the proposed cap would meaningfully reduce costs for residents and whether cutting gas tax revenue could create financial challenges for local governments and school districts already facing higher fuel expenses.
Tim Meyers, a Democrat who represents District 7, said local officials have expressed concern that lowering gas tax revenue could create unexpected budget shortfalls.
“I’ve heard from several superintendents and supervisors that when they crafted their budgets, they were based on the best cost estimates of gas that they thought it would be,” Meyers said. “And nobody could have foreseen this $1.09 more a gallon or whatever it is, and their feeling is that if they don’t get this sales tax and it does go down, they are going to have budget holes all over because they’re paying that amount of price.”
Supporters of the proposal argued the legislature has a responsibility to act on affordability concerns.
“This is something that this body has done before in a bipartisan fashion,” said Lindsay Lorigo, a Republican who represents District 10. “We know that there is something that we as county legislators can actually do to help reduce costs on our residents. Affordability has to be more than just a talking point.”
Republican lawmakers who introduced the measure said they plan to continue pursuing efforts aimed at helping taxpayers save money on gasoline.