NIAGARA COUNTY, N.Y. — Niagara County will not be imposing a tax on paper bags next year.
The Niagara County legislature announced that Tuesday night, by a unanimous vote, the county will not be imposing a tax on paper bags in March 2020 once plastic bags are banned throughout New York State.
As part of Governor Cuomo's recently passed 2019-2020 budget, plastic bags will be banned, as part of the ban, the Governor has authorized local governments to the ability to enforce a five-cent tax on paper bags, unless they opt out.
“The tax on paper carryout bags is more so a regressive move. It will wrongly penalize recyclable good that can be easily processed at recovery facilities. The state-required fee will generate profits at the expense of shoppers, adversely impacting low-income individuals,” said the chairman of Legislature Keith McNall, R - Lockport in a press release.
New York joins California and Hawaii as only the third state to ban plastic bags.
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