Suffolk County Executive Bellone, Business Advocacy Groups and Officials Deliver a Request

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today launched an online petition to urge President Trump to stop Congress from eliminating deductions for state and local taxes.  The County Executive was joined by business advocacy organizations including the Long Island Association, Association for a Better Long Island, Suffolk Alliance of Chambers, and local officials to sound the alarm on a bill that would raise taxes for middle class residents by thousands of dollars each year.

 

A copy of the County Executive’s online petition can be found here.  

 

“We are urging President Trump to use his power to stop Congress from passing the largest tax increase ever on Long Island families,” said County Executive Bellone.  “This bill would raise taxes on everyone from nurses, police officers, firefighters, teachers, construction workers – the bread and butter of the middle class.  Long Island cannot afford this tax increase and we must remain vocal on protecting these vital tax deductions.”

 

Yesterday, County Executive Bellone sent a letter to President Trump asking him to use the “full power and authority" of his office to stop Congress from raising taxes on middle class homeowners.  In a bipartisan show of unity, this afternoon Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine, Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter and Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman signed onto the County Executive’s letter.  A copy of the County Executive’s letter can be found here. 

 

The loss of the deduction for state and local taxes, which includes the state income tax and the local property tax, would have a disproportionate impact on Long Islanders. According to a report by the Long Island Association, Long Island taxpayers at virtually every income level could face a tax increase greater than a thousand dollars a year.  The average annual increase for households with an income level between $25,000 to $200,000 would range from $1,356 to $3,980 and the overall average impact across all income levels could be a staggering $7,794, according to the LIA report.

Kevin Law, President of the Long Island Association said: “The potential elimination or capping of the state and local tax deduction would hurt our middle class and damage Long Island’s economy, and I commend County Executive Bellone for his efforts to ensure any federal tax plan isn’t inequitably targeted at our region.”

 

Laureen Harris, President of the Association for a Better Long Island said: “While Long Island has watched the Federal government provide rescue relief in 2017 for other geographic areas after being hit by Irma and Harvey, the Federal government is imposing a geographic recession for our region with Trump’s Tax plan.”

 

Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory said: "This ill-conceived tax reform proposal being touted by Congressional leaders and the administration, with the misleading promise of massive tax cuts, opens the door for eliminating – or at least drastically limiting – the deduction for state and local taxes which is claimed by more than 40 million households throughout the country and is vital to providing public services that include public safety, infrastructure and education on Long Island.  At a time when Suffolk County is fighting hard to eradicate gangs, crush the opioid crisis, and keep Suffolk County affordable, this is, simply put, a ‘tax cut’ we cannot afford.”

 

Legislator Monica Martinez said: “The plans currently being considered in Washington are bad news for the people of Brentwood, Central Islip, North Bay Shore and the rest of Suffolk County. Eliminating the state and local tax deduction tax will wreak havoc for Suffolk residents and put our region at a steep competitive disadvantage.”

Legislator Al Krupski said: “The current tax bill being considered in Washington will adversely impact Long Island’s middle class who are already struggling to raise families and pay their bills. We simply cannot add to the burden some Long Island taxpayers are already carrying.  If the bill passes, it will be bad news for middle income wage earners and will harm Suffolk County’s economy.”

 

Legislator Steve Stern said: "Long Islanders work hard every day to be able to do what we cherish-buying a home, sending our children to college, spending quality time with our families on vacation and running our businesses, none of which will benefit from this proposal in the name of tax “reform” which will be devastating to our local economy.  If enacted, members of Congress from across the country will have betrayed Long Island taxpayers."

Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter said: “The Town of Islip, like all towns in Suffolk County, works hard to deliver needed services to its residents in compliance with the state tax cap and at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers. The proposed Federal tax plan, as it is now, has a potentially devastating impact on our hard-working middle class residents.”

 

Richard Schaffer, Babylon Town Supervisor and Chair of the Suffolk County Supervisors' Association said: "Congress could be days away from ramming through a bill that would raise taxes drastically for Suffolk County homeowners.  This tax bill cannot be allowed to pass, and we need the President to stand on our side and protect his home state."

 

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