County Sales Tax Sharing Begins Dec. 1
- hollytoal
- Sep 29
- 3 min read
Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne was joined last week by state and local elected officials outside the County Office Building in Carmel to announce that plans are in place to begin distributing a portion of the county’s sales tax revenue with its six towns and three villages.
On Aug 7, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation that was introduced and passed by the county’s delegation to the State Legislature, extending Putnam’s existing sales tax rate into law. To ensure compliance with the new law, intermunicipal agreements were sent to each town supervisor and village mayor Sept. 24.
According to the terms of the historic agreement approved by the County Legislature and executive in May, one-ninth of the revenue generated from the 1 percent sales tax extension will be distributed beginning Dec. 1 over the life of the extension until Nov. 30, 2027, when it would have to be renewed again.
The compromise presented earlier this year also came with a commitment from Byrne to leverage a portion of the county’s share of the sales tax revenue to cut the county property tax levy by $1 million and deliver the largest property tax cut in county history.
“This administration has done more in the last three years to make Putnam County more affordable than any prior, but we couldn’t have done it alone,” said Byrne. “The success of the historic deal struck to distribute a portion of county sales tax revenue will be remembered as a collaborative partnership among all levels of representative government – federal, state, and local – to provide tax relief where it matters while simultaneously doing more to support our local municipalities.”
This includes resources such as improvements to essential projects like roads, sidewalks, bridges, water systems, and more.
“In addition, we are poised to cut county taxes even more,” continued Byrne. “We’ve laid out a vision for a better, more affordable, more transparent local government that serves the needs of everyday residents. I’m grateful to all our state and federal representatives and am happy to see our towns and villages standing shoulder to shoulder with us in this mission to improve Putnam County together.”
State Sen. Pete Harckham, D-Peekskill, called the law a great example of government working together.
“The county brought us an idea, and we were able to turn it into action,” he said. “By sharing this revenue, we’re providing vital funding for critical local needs without placing an unfair burden on taxpayers, while also addressing the serious budget challenges facing our counties and municipalities.”
State Sen. Rob Rolison, R-Poughkeepsie, called the agreement a win for Putnam families, taxpayers, and communities.
“By extending the sales tax and ensuring that revenue is shared with our towns and villages, we are strengthening local government and providing critical resources for essential services that residents rely on every day,” he said. “This cooperative approach ensures fairness and transparency while helping to ease the burden on local property taxpayers.”
Assemblyman Matt Slater, R-Yorktown, said the agreement is the result of true collaboration.
“We get things done in Putnam County because we work together for the betterment of the people we represent, with the underlying goal of every decision being to uplift our local communities,” he said. “I couldn’t be prouder of our local Putnam County leaders, our state delegation and, of course, County Executive Kevin Byrne for spearheading this effort. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this partnership will have on taxpayers and our communities for years to come.”
Assemblymember Dana Levenberg, D-Ossining, said the Philipstown area generates a lot of this revenue through tourism, which can cause some challenges along with the benefits it brings.
“My constituents and their leaders at the local and county level have been very keen to see some of this money returned to them,” she said. “This was one of the first issues that was brought to me when I took office in 2023, and I am proud we were all able to work together to get this agreement done.”