Mike Benischek reports in the Poughkeepsie Journal that the gasoline sales tax holiday in Dutchess and Ulster counties ended Dec. 1. Gasoline prices had been dropping locally recently, but the end of the tax holiday will mean slightly higher prices at the pump in those counties. Dutchess County returns to collecting a 3.75 percent tax per gallon, while Ulster County goes back to collecting a 4 percent tax per gallon. For six months, both counties collected a flat rate of eight cents per gallon, in an effort to lower prices for consumers during a period of high inflation. The state allowed counties to forgo their share of the gasoline tax, with Dutchess and Ulster counties opting in, while officials in Greene and Columbia counties choose to keep the gas tax as is. The American Automobile Association says gas prices are generally falling. “Increasing supply and fewer drivers fueling up have pushed pump prices lower,” AAA wrote. “As demand remains low and stocks grow, drivers will likely see pump prices keep falling.” Read more about this story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.