I am a fruit and vegetable grower from Sodus and president of the Wayne County Farm Bureau, the largest general farm and rural advocacy group in the county representing over six hundred member families. I am here today to voice our organization s support for the continuation of the sales tax revenue sharing program with public school districts.
Agriculture is Wayne County s number one industry.
Our industry is diverse, from fruit and vegetable farms to dairy and cash crops. However, a proposal to eliminate the sales tax revenue sharing with school districts could have an adverse effect on the agricultural industry. Wayne County is the home of four of New York State s largest fruit and vegetable processors. It is also the home of a number of other small businesses that service the agricultural and rural communities. These are the very businesses that could be negatively impacted by the discontinuation of this revenue sharing.