Brewster, N.Y. – 2/25/2013 – State Senator Greg Ball (R, C, I – Patterson) has sent a letter (attached) to the Putnam County Executive and Legislature opposing a piece of legislation that was recently enacted by the County.
The letter relates to a recent Putnam County amended local law chapter 173 entitled “Item pricing.” The law requires a waiver fee schedule for retailers and will result in up to a $15,000 increase in fees for local businesses.
In the letter, Ball calls for the county to reconsider its actions and review the new ‘item pricing’ schedule to make it business friendly.
“We need to keep New York open for business. Revising the new ‘item pricing’ fee schedule to be more conducive to local businesses is worthy of our leaders consideration,” said Senator Greg Ball. “I urge Putnam County officials to work with all concerned parties to develop a remedy. I stand ready to assist in any way.”
According to Mitch Klein, the Chairman of the Food Industry Alliance of New York, with the passage of this law, Putnam County has now implemented the highest item pricing wavier fee statewide.
“The steps the County has taken not only defeat any benefit, it assures that this program will be a lose – lose for both sides,” Klein wrote in a letter. “The only accomplishment here is that retailers will look over the border to Connecticut which is far less restrictive.”
Michael Rosen, Sr. VP of the Food Industry Alliance a trade association of supermarkets, noted the annual fee will impact on retailers’ ability to expand, pay better wages and buy new products.
“We are disappointed that Putnam County enacted the highest fee schedule in the state and chose to impose other costly requirements on business,” said Rosen. “We hope County Executive Odell will take the lead in adopting a more reasonable law.”
“This new law has less to do with protecting consumers than it does raising revenue for the County,” said Retail Council of New York State EVP Ted Potrikus. “Outlandish and irrational fees like this do nothing except raise prices for every shopper in the County and are absolutely detrimental to economic development and job growth.”
For more information, please contact Joe Bachmeier at (845) 200 9716.
###
