Report of tax revenue gain not quite apples-to-apples

Ulster County had a substantial increase in sales tax collections last year, according to the state Comptroller’s Office.

The state is reporting that collections rose from $103,489,188 in 2014 to $107,770,020 last year, a 4.1 percent increase, making the county — with a roughly $4.3 million yearover-year increase — one of only four of the 57 counties in the state outside New York City to experience col- lection growth of more than 3 percent. Saratoga, Hamilton and Steuben counties were the others.

Ulster County Finance Commissioner Burt Gulnick, though, said the size of the increase is, in large part, due to the county collecting only a 3 percent sales tax in January 2014, while it collected the full 4 percent sales tax in 2015.

As a result of a dispute between the county and state Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, the county was not allowed to levy the addi- tional 1 percent sales tax in 2014 until Feb. 1.

County officials estimate the temporary loss of that additional 1 percent sales tax in cost the county roughly $3 million.

Gulnick said he expects total sales tax receipts for 2015 to be roughly the $108 million that was budgeted.

In 2014, the county received $104.6 million in sales tax. Of that 11.5 percent went to the city of Kingston and 3 percent was shared with the county’s 20 towns.

Dutchess County last

Gulnick said he expects total sales tax receipts for 2015 to be roughly the $108 million that was budgeted.

year had a sales tax revenue increase of 0.8 percent, Orange County had a 1.1 percent increase, Greene County had a 2.4 percent increase, Sullivan County had a 1.7 percent increase, and Columbia County had a gain of 0.1 percent.

Ulster County Comptroller Elliott Auerbach said the county’s increase in sales tax revenue has a trickledown effect to the towns, villages and city of Kingston, which share in the gain. Those local governments share 14.5 percent of the revenue while the county retains 85.5 percent.

The county and city currently are negotiating a new sales tax distribution agreement.