From left: Ball, Calhoun, Molinaro

SALISBURY MILL – Three Hudson Valley Republican Assembly members Monday turned up the heat on the Democratic controlled state for its approval of an MTA bailout bill last week that will see imposition of a payroll tax on every business in the entire MTA region, which includes Orange, Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester and Rockland counties.

Standing at the Salisbury Mills Metro-North Train Station, Members Nancy Calhoun, Marc Molinaro and Gregory Ball all called for a forensic audit of the MTA’s books. And Ball made it clear by what is meant by forensic audit – a look into possible criminal activity.

The lawmakers concede there is not much that can legally be done about the tax since the state legislature approved and the governor signed it. But, they continued to maintain that the state’s leadership, all from New York City, used the northern counties to bail out their transportation system, and that is wrong.

The Republicans said they would write to state officials demanding an audit and urged the public and the media to keep the heat turned up on the issue.

Ball called the new tax “a job killer” and said state leaders have done “the Hudson two-step… a game.”

“Albany could have dealt with a $137-138 billion budget, but this state passed. The MTA could have been dealt with, within this budget,” he said. “Instead, Albany pushed it off to the side and tried to create a doom’s day scenario to demand and insure that the only alternative was a tax increase. That gain now is costing taxpayers throughout the Hudson Valley is going to be a job killer.”

Molinaro said the MTA deal holds the Mid-Hudson Valley hostage and perpetuates “the great divide” between Upstate and Downstate.

Calhoun said the MTA tax is unfair because Orange and Rockland counties are paying between $30 million and $40 million more than they are receiving in services from the transit agency.

“The MTA should have imposed a payroll tax on New York City alone,” she said. To ask Mid-Hudson businesses to pay additional money so New York City riders can maintain “a more reasonable number is wrong.”

Last week, the county legislatures in Rockland and Orange counties voted to ask the state to allow them to withdraw from the MTA region.