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St. Lawrence County lawmakers to ask state to extend 1 percent sales tax hike

Posted 6/2/15

By JIMMY LAWTON St. Lawrence County legislators voted Monday to request an extension to impose a 1 percent increase in sales tax that was approved by the state in 2013. “The current economic …

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St. Lawrence County lawmakers to ask state to extend 1 percent sales tax hike

Posted

By JIMMY LAWTON

St. Lawrence County legislators voted Monday to request an extension to impose a 1 percent increase in sales tax that was approved by the state in 2013.

“The current economic environment requires the county to continue to impose the sales tax rate as previously authorized and extended through 2017,” the resolution says.

In 2013 local officials worked with state representatives to amend the law to include St. Lawrence County in the group of counties authorized to impose sales and compensating use taxes at a rate that was one percent additional to the 3 percent rate for the period beginning Dec. 1, 2013 and ending Nov. 30, 2015.

In May, St. Lawrence legislators adopted a resolution requesting Home Rule Regulation of Sales and Compensating Use Tax to extend the sales tax rate as previously authorized from three percent 3 to four percent 4 percent.

The resolution calls on the state two pass to pass a law that would allow the county to extend the tax.

“The revenue anticipated from the extension of the additional 1 percent sales and compensating use tax provides the opportunity to continue building an environment for property tax stabilization, deliver services to the community, and continue toward long-term fiscal stability for St. Lawrence County,” the resolution says.

When the state allowed the county to raise its sales tax local legislators agreed to under the condition that the county include a long-term plan. The county did submit the plan, but has so far fallen short on living up to it.

See earlier story here.