The organization Unshackle Upstate wants a temporary tax on energy bills in New York State to end.
The so-called 18-A assessment was due to expire next year. However, Governor Cuomo has proposed extending it another five years. The tax is on all electricity and gas delivered to homes and businesses in the state. The charge is about 35 cents on a $40 monthly bill. It was originally put in place to get more money into the state's general fund.
Brian Sampson says, "It's about a 500-million dollar hit to upstate businesses and homeowners. It's that sort of thing that we look at and it may not seem like a large increase to an individual home or business, but on top of all the other costs and burdens that we have here in New York State, those are the things that we want to try to avoid."
Sampson says about 25 percent of energy bills in New York State are taxes.
