Erie County, NY - Erie County Republican Legislators introduced a resolution opposing a $25 annual vehicle registration fee to help fund upstate public transit. The proposed fee was introduced in Albany by New York Public Transit Association President Miguel Velazquez as a mechanism to address funding shortfalls upstate. County Executive Mark Poloncarz’s Commissioner of Public Works supports the fee.
“Downstate transit systems have 18 dedicated funding mechanisms. Here in Western New York and upstate, we have access to just four. That is a serious inequity that needs to be addressed before we start charging drivers another $25 a year,” said Minority Leader Legislator John Mills.
Erie County is the only county in New York State to share sales tax revenue with public transit. That revenue for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is expected to reach nearly $28 million in 2026. But upstate public transit is underfunded at the state level, which has created structural inequities.
“Erie County already shares its sales tax revenue with the NFTA, so taxpayers are already helping to foot the bill for public transit. We can’t tax and fee our way out of fiscal mismanagement,” said Legislator Chris Greene.
“It seems the solution to every problem in Albany is to reach further into taxpayers’ pockets. Enough is enough. I cannot support this fee. It is an additional burden placed on taxpayers, and it shouldn’t be the job of upstate to pay for the sins of downstate,” said Legislator Frank Todaro.
“Our county budget allocates significant funds each year to the NFTA. Assessing another $25 fee to drivers each year is unfair, and state representatives should reject it,” said Legislator Lindsay Lorigo.
The resolution urges state representatives to reject the proposed fee, citing Erie County’s existing contributions and concerns about fairness to local drivers.
