AUBURN -- Cayuga County Legislators will soon consider repealing a gas sales tax cap that currently saves consumers about a nickel per gallon at the pump.

The spirit of the cap was intended to lower gasoline prices in the county when it was passed last July. However, the Ways and Means Committee unanimously determined Tuesday the sales tax revenue from gas sales would better serve residents by lowering the tentative 2008 tax levy.

"Traveling around the countryside, we noticed we pay more than any of our neighboring counties do," said committee Chairman Paul Dudley, R-Cato. "Somebody has been pocketing the tax."

Legislator Christopher Palermo, R-Sterling, rebutted that observation.

"I would disagree that Cayuga County in the north is higher than Wayne or Oswego," he said.

Under the cap, the county stops collecting sales tax at the $2 per gallon mark. Repealing the measure would trade the flat 8-cent tax for the county's full 4-percent cut, roughly 13 cents at today's average of $3.28 per gallon.

The Ways and Means Committee estimated a repeal of the cap would add about $325,000 in revenue to the tentative 2008 budget and drop the tax levy increase a percentage point. Going into Tuesday's budget work session, the 2008 levy increase had been trimmed to about 4.3 percent over this year's.

With the 6-0 approval of the repeal in committee, the full Legislature will consider the measure at its meeting Tuesday. Legislator David Pappert, R-Auburn, said he would not support the repeal in the face of rising gas prices.

For more, read Wednesday's Citizen