NEW YORK CITY, NY — The New York City Council voted on May 5 to charge a $.05 fee for every plastic and paper bag used in retail stores. The plan goes into effect on October 1, but won’t be strictly enforced until April 2017.

The fee, which shop owners will collect and keep and which is not considered a tax by supporters, is intended to help reduce the number of plastic bags that get stuck in the city’s sewer system and to reduce the cost of otherwise dealing with the environmental problems associated with plastic bags, but the plan has drawn fire from various quarters.

In Albany, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican who represents Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, is cosponsoring a bill in Albany that would block the plan.

“New York City officials leave no stone unturned when it comes to nickel-and-diming residents,” said Malliotakis. “Encouraging individuals to practice more environmentally friendly behavior is one thing, but it is impractical to expect all New York City residents to always provide their own carry-out bags to avoid this additional cost. This is just another gimmick to squeeze more money from the poor and middle-class families who are already over-taxed.”