Putnam Legislature debates whether to extend full 1% sales tax; some propose 3.75%

Putnam County legislators spent more than two hours debating whether to request an extension of the county's additional sales tax from the state and whether to share excess revenue with towns and villages.

The debate centered on two decisions: what portion of the additional 1% in county sales tax to request from the state and whether to create a revenue-sharing mechanism to distribute any sales tax receipts that exceed county budget projections to towns and villages. One legislator moved to fill the resolution's blank with 3.75 percent — effectively asking the state to allow the county's base sales tax to remain at 3 percent while requesting 0.75 percent more — and to forward that version to the full legislature for consideration.

Lawmakers and members of the public said the choice carries trade-offs. Supporters argued the county can afford a partial extension now and that modest relief for…