THE ASSEMBLY

STATE OF NEW YORK

ALBANY

COMMITTEES
Agriculture
Consumer Affairs and
Protection
Insurance
Transportatio
n

JAMES SKOUFIS
Member of Assembly
99th District

January 17, 2014

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Cuomo:
I am writing to respectfully urge you to include Orange and Rockland Counties in your proposal to
eliminate the manufacturing tax. Including Orange and Rockland would provide much needed tax relief
for our local businesses, helping to ease the tax burden in order to make our region more affordable for
hard-working Hudson Valley families. Further, as the proposal stands, Orange and Rockland will not be
able to compete with its immediate neighbors to the north when attempting to attract new manufacturers.
As Ive talked with small business owners, farmers and local business leaders, I hear the same concerns
our taxes are too high. In addition to the manufacturing tax, many businesses in our region are hit with
the burdensome MTA payroll tax despite only fractional representation on the MTA Board.
This over-taxing has hurt the business climate in our region, taking jobs away from our families.
Eliminating the manufacturing tax will help to reverse this trend and create a business friendly climate in
Orange and Rockland once again.
I look forward to working on the tax reform plan youve set forth in order to provide needed tax relief to
the Hudson Valley and New York State as a whole. There is great potential for Orange and Rockland to
be a leader in economic development and manufacturing. With your help, we can get the necessary tools
to fulfill that potential. By eliminating the manufacturing tax, our region would take a major step towards
revitalizing our economy and providing working families with the resources they need.
Sincerely,

James Skoufis
Member of Assembly

ALBANY OFFICE: Room 821, Legislative Office Building, Albany, New York 12248 518-455-5441 FAX: 518-455-5884
DISTRICT OFFICE: 11 Main Street, Chester, New York 10918 845-469-6929 FAX: 845-469-0914
EMAIL: skoufisj@assembly.state.ny.us