Broome Sales Tax Revenues Take Multi-Million Dollar Hit from Coronavirus

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar says the grim sales tax numbers are starting to come in from New York State as the coronavirus shutdown abruptly turned off a major source of revenue for the region. 

Garnar says the lost revenue just from the sales taxes for April is put at $18-million and that doesn’t include the money that is also NOT coming in from casino revenue and Department of Motor Vehicle fees.

The Democrat says, while the situation could be even more dire had the county not managed to have $15-million in its bank account, the County’s financial picture is “extremely worrisome.”

Broome has already offered furloughs to employees and cancelled travel plans. Over 40 county workers have taken advantage of the furlough, but with a potential cut in New York State funding due to the hit from the coronavirus pandemic and increased filings for Medicaid for new jobless residents, Garnar says more hard decisions may have to be made.

At his May 13 briefing, Garnar pleaded with lawmakers in Washington to put aside the politics and move to save local governments and residents.

Both Garnar and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo have appealed for federal funding to support police, fire, health care, hospitals, schools and other essential services that are paid out on the state and local levels.