Governor Andrew Cuomo will be making an important decision by tomorrow evening that could provide significant help to Greenburgh, Tarrytown, Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings, Elmsford, Ardsley and Sleepy Hollow.
Earlier this year the New York State Senate and Assembly approved legislation that would enable Greenburgh and the above villages to impose a 3% hotel tax on guests. The hotel tax, if signed into law, could generate as much as a million dollars a year in revenue for the unincorporated section of Greenburgh and significant dollars for villages within Greenburgh that have hotels within their borders. The hotel tax currently is in place in Yonkers, White Plains, New Rochelle and Peeksill. This tax enables out of towners to help local governments pay for services and infrastructure. The hotel tax also is on the books in communities around the state that are much smaller than the town of Greenburgh. Assemblyman Tom Abinanti and State Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins have been pushing hard for the legislation and we appreciate their help in persuading the Legislature to approve the legislation.
I'm away on vacation this week. Just spoke with Assemblyman Abinanti who advised me that his office and other members of the Assembly issued a statement yesterday indicating that the Governor had promised the Speaker of the Assembly earlier this year that he would sign the legislation if the hotel tax would be approved by the Legislature--which it was. By law the Governor must decide whether to sign or veto the legislation by tomorrow evening -the last day of the year. The hotel lobbyists are lobbying the Governor to veto the legislation which, in our views, do not make sense since the tax currently exists in Westchester localiies and around the state.
It's our hope that Governor Cuomo will help local governments continue to comply with the tax cap which limits tax hikes -and to assist us in addressing important infrastructure needs. If the Governor signs the legislation his help will be enormously appreciated.
PAUL FEINER
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Thomas-J-Abinanti/story/66502#.WGac517qZ90.email