Albany Council Floats Commuter Tax, Drawing Bipartisan Criticism
In Albany, the state capital in Albany County, New York, nine members of the Common Council put forward a resolution asking the state legislature to pass a law allowing the city to tax the incomes of the tens of thousands of people who work in Albany but live elsewhere. The resolution was introduced at the council's meeting on the night of October 19.
Councilmember Derek Johnson, the resolution's primary sponsor, said commuters rely on city services such as roads, sewers and first responders, and that a commuter tax would improve services and make the city less dependent on state aid. The proposal faces steep odds in the state legislature, whose approval it would need, and local and state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle criticized it as "disastrous," "insane" and "out of touch." State Sen. Pat Fahy said: "It's just the absolute wrong time to talk about a commuter tax. We want more feet on the street. We don't want to add to any chilling effect."
Wayne Spence, president of the New York State Public Employees Federation, which represents more than 65,000 members, issued a statement on October 19 opposing the resolution, saying commuters already contribute to the city's economy through parking, meals, shopping and entertainment. Bethlehem Town Supervisor David VanLuven warned it would create incentives for businesses to leave Albany; more than 6,000 of Bethlehem's 35,000 residents work in the city.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：奥尔巴尼市夜景（资料图）。照片：Wikimedia Commons（CC0）。Albany, New York at night (file photo). Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC0).
