ALBANY — Sales-tax collections tumbled 5.9 statewide in 2009 — the sharpest drop in at least two decades — Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced yesterday.
Declines were across the board, with only a handful of counties reporting gains.
The Long Island and Hudson Valley suburbs were hit hardest, with Westchester and Putnam counties each suffering sales-tax declines in excess of 10 percent.
“This is yet another sign that the Great Recession is having a continuing impact on our communities across New York,” said DiNapoli, who warned about the declines in a previous report.
Statewide sales-tax collections fell to $10.8 billion, compared to $11.5 billion the prior year.
The city collected $4.6 billion, down from $4.9 billion in 2008.