The Ontario County Board of Supervisors does not want to follow suit with some other counties across the region and state in implementing a reduction or suspension of gas tax.
Last week at its board meeting, the issue was discussed at length, resulting in an informal poll. A majority of the board said they were not in favor of cutting the gas tax temporarily.
Two key committees – the Ways and Means, as well as Government Operations – shared that opinion.
“We have a lot of people coming through our communities,” Canandaigua Supervisor David Baker said. “This affords us an opportunity to collect (tax) revenue from people from outside of the area.”
Geneva Supervisor Dom Vedora supported cutting the tax.
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“All of us in this room can afford to pay higher gas prices,” Vedora said. “I worry about the poorer people in this county — the single mother with two or three kids, the senior citizens on fixed incomes. We have to show the people we care.”
Neighboring counties including Wayne, Yates, and Monroe have reduced tax collection on gas prices.
At this point though, it does not appear that Ontario will join them.
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