This week, a New York Supreme Court Justice declared unconstitutional a tax covering a 12-county area including the city of New York and its surrounding suburbs, creating a $1.26 billion hole in this year's MTA budget.
In ruling in favor of a lawsuit brought by Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and other suburban communities against the Payroll Mobility Tax, which was adopted by the State Legislature in 2009 to rescue the indebted Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (MTA), "Judge R. Bruce Cozzens Jr. held the levy violated a so-
called home-rule provision in the state constitution," reports Esmé E. Deprez.
In a statement, the MTA claimed that, "Removing
more than $1.2 billion in revenue from the Payroll Mobility Tax,
plus hundreds of millions of dollars more from other taxes
affected by yesterday's ruling, would be catastrophic for the
MTA and for the economy of New York state." It continues, "Without the Payroll Mobility Tax or another stable and reliable
source of funding, the MTA would be forced to implement a combination of
extreme service cuts and fare hikes."
According to Deprez, "Mangano, a Republican who led the plaintiffs in the suit
filed in 2010, celebrated today alongside state and county
legislators at a news briefing in Mineola. He called the
decision as a 'victory for taxpayers and job creators
throughout the state.'"
FULL STORY: New York MTA’s Payroll Tax Rejected in Blow to Agency
MTA Commuter Tax Pits New York City Against Suburbs
The 12-county downstate commuter tax is vilified by many living outside New York City - forced to pay a payroll tax to support transit that they may not use. They sued the MTA and won last August, but MTA had the ruling reversed on appeal on June 26.
New York Officials Back Down on Bus Lane Plans
Proposed bus improvements in the Bronx are the latest casualty of opposition.
Fancy New Subway Cars Join the New York Subway System
New York has been planning on adding these new subway cars for years, finally achieving their goal in March 2023. More than a thousand of the new R211 trains will be running in New York within two years if all goes according to plan.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
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Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
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