“As every New Yorker who’s visited the gas station recently knows, the soaring price of gas is making a significant dent in household budgets. That’s why it was important to pass a final state budget that included a suspension of the state gas tax that will run from June 1 to December 31. This is expected to save drivers $585 million.

“However, prices have remained high and Central New York families deserve more financial relief. To help further bring down the cost of gasoline, I’m advocating for a gas tax suspension at the county and federal levels to complement the action taken at the state level.

“In fact, the Onondaga County Legislature is voting on a measure to cap the county sales tax in our communities soon, but more must be done. To make an even more meaningful reduction, a suspension of the County gas tax through the end of year will help drivers save an additional $.16 cents per gallon, which together with the state, would double the savings for taxpayers – $.32 cents per gallon in savings.

“As we approach two months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s clear that the disruption to the global gas market isn’t going anywhere. We must explore all possible measures to provide relief for our families, and a temporary total suspension of gas taxes, at all levels of our nation’s government, would do just that.