New York budget would bring MTA tax relief for Orange, Dutchess counties

Skoufis said mounting frustration with limited public transportation options in the Hudson Valley had a role in convincing the Hochul Administration to back the exemption.

“I certainly find the payroll mobility tax fundamentally offensive for my district given the lack of public transit that the MTA offers in Orange County and west of Hudson more broadly,” he said. “This was an opportunity that we seized to leverage that dissatisfaction.”

https://www.recordonline.com/story/news/2025/05/01/ny-budget-deal-mid-hudson-valley-to-see-mta-tax-exemption/83384989007/]

Withdrawing from the MTA’s commuter district would eliminate several funding streams generated by myriad fees and taxes that Orange County residents and businesses either contribute to or pay directly. These payments are in addition to fares and tolls and include sales tax, real estate transfer tax, mortgage recording tax, mansion tax, gas tax, corporate tax, business payroll tax, fees for vehicle registration and driver’s licenses, telecommunications surcharges and ride-sharing surcharges.

https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/2025/james-skoufis/state-lawmakers-want-withdraw-orange-county-mta]