With Gov. Andrew Cuomo having “clearly moved on” from further
adjustments to the minimum wage, New York farmers are urging state
officials to include in the budget an expanded tax credit they say is
crucial to offsetting increased labor costs.
In outlining its legislative priorities Wednesday morning, the New
York Farm Bureau announced it will seek a $500 tax credit per employee,
double the credit for this year, to help offset costs associated with
the increasing wage.
The minimum wage now sits at $9.70 per hour upstate and is set to
continue increasing to $12.50 by 2020. On Long Island and in Westchester
County, the wage is $10 and is set to hit $15 by 2021.
“The governor has clearly moved on on this,” Farm Bureau Public
Policy Director Jeff Williams said during a conference call with
reporters. “I don’t think there’s any way we can walk back the minimum
wage increase. But there are ways we can control other costs and reduce
other costs to offset the cost of the minimum wage.”
“We believe we pay very well, but to artificially increase minimum
wages in New York state, when we fully implement Pennsylvania’s minimum
wage will be half of what New York state’s is,” he added. “We just
simply can’t compete with other states.”
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