ALBANY – Two of Chenango County's representatives in the state legislature are lashing out against a proposal to change the face of New York license plates and want locals to voice their opinions.

Republican Senator Fred Akshar (52nd Senate District) and Republican Assemblyman Clifford Crouch (122nd Assembly District) each released statements calling it a ploy by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to saddle New Yorkers with a new tax.

“This is clearly a cash grab for the governor to fund his pet projects and spending habit,” said Crouch. “I have spoken to many constituents in my district who say their plates are fine, are not peeling and they don't want new plates.”

Cuomo announced last week that New Yorkers can vote for one of five new license plate designs, three of which feature the Statue of Liberty and one depicting the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (formerly the Tappan Zee Bridge). The winning design will become the state's official license plate in 2020.

The catch: switching plates comes with a mandatory $25 license plate replacement fee for registered vehicles with plates that are 10-years-old or older (estimated to be 3 million statewide). That's on top of the cost of registration renewal.