Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C,I-Deerpark) today announced that another layer of the burdensome MTA payroll tax has been eliminated. Local public libraries soon would be seeing a significant reduction in their taxes after Brabenec voted for a tax break in the 2015-16 Enacted Budget. After weeks of budget negotiations, legislators agreed to make libraries exempt from the MTA payroll tax. Brabenec, a longtime opponent of the MTA payroll tax, expressed satisfaction with this partial repeal, but noted that there is still much work to be done.

“This levy on businesses in the Hudson Valley only exacerbates New York’s already crushing tax burden,” said Brabenec. “The MTA payroll tax has done nothing but cost taxpayers thousands and hinder the growth of small businesses in our area. While this partial roll back is a good start, I hope my bill to fully repeal the MTA payroll tax gains more support when my colleagues see the obvious benefits of its elimination. “