Housing

This bill increases the occupancy tax in St. Lawrence County from three percent to five percent. It directly affects guests staying at hotels, motels, apartment hotels, and boarding houses within the county by raising the fee charged on their room rentals. The law allows the county to collect this additional tax on the per diem rental rate for each room, regardless of whether the stay is daily or longer. The change takes effect immediately upon passage.

This bill authorizes Suffolk County to sell a specific parkland parcel (described in Section 3, approximately 0.23 acres in Smithtown) to Russel and Deana Galindo for residential development. In exchange, the Galindos must transfer another designated parcel (described in Section 4, approximately 0.24 acres) to the county to become new parkland, with the county ensuring the fair market value of the new land equals or exceeds the value of the sold land. The bill requires the county to use any value difference to acquire additional parkland or improve existing facilities and includes federal compliance requirements if federal funds were involved. It directly affects Suffolk County, the Galindos, and future parkland users through this specific land exchange.