County Drops Proposed Ferry Surcharge Proposal

For the second time in two decades Suffolk County lawmakers have decided not to implement a surcharge tax on Fire Island ferry operators that would have cost riders a quarter on each ferry trip.

The decision, according to a published report late yesterday, was due to protests by the ferry industry and Fire Island businesses.

The proposal was made initially to help the county deal with a $530 million budget gap and could have provided $750,000 in revenue for the county, according to previous published reports.

Local ferry operators had threatened to go to court if the surcharge was instituted. The county had proposed a similiar levy back in the 1990s but withdrew the proposal.