New York lawmakers could increase taxes for MTA funding: 'Gross mismanagement'
NEW YORK - New York City congestion pricing funds are expected to go to improving the bus and subway system, with officials saying the toll could raise nearly $15 billion. But lawmakers say it may not be enough.
Lawmakers in Albany are considering raising taxes and fees to help fill in the MTA’s $33 billion budget gap.
Wednesday was the first day of the legislative session. On Christmas Eve, the assembly speaker and Senate majority leader shot down the MTA’s capital plan, even though New York Gov. Kathy Hochul approved it. They pointed to that massive budget gap.
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Now, lawmakers are looking to try to find a new source of revenue – and that could be with taxes. Several early-stage ideas have already been proposed, including a millionaire’s tax or even a hike on the mobility tax for employers. Meanwhile, some leaders claim the MTA has just not done enough to cut costs and to save money.
"I hope the MTA leadership takes all its time and energy that have been put into advocating for congestion pricing and instead look at how could we fulfill our promise to taxpayer, to those who use the system and say this is how we are maximizing efficiency," said New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. "This is how we are not wasting those precious dollars that you're paying through tolls or fare box or taxes or congestion pricing."
Some lawmakers say the MTA needs to get a handle on the fare evaders and the money they are currently raking in before they can ask New Yorkers to open up their wallets.
"Before we ask the taxpayers of New York to go back into their pockets and to pay more, how about just having those people who are jumping the turnstiles, are fare beaters, how about having them pay their fair share?" said State Sen. Jack Martins.
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On Wednesday, members of the Senate Republican Conference called for MTA Chair Janno Lieber to resign because of significant mismanagement with both financial and safety issues.
"I have never seen such gross mismanagement of the MTA in my life, and I'm a resident of Brooklyn for 48 years," said State Sen. Steve Chan. "I'm a cop over there 27 years and I've seen what safe subways looks like, and he can't tell me that this is safe subways."