Motorists who fuel up in Suffolk pay a sales tax to the county, but only on the first $3 of the price per gallon. Today, lawmakers voted to take away that tax cap, which would mean an extra half-cent per gallon at the pump. Presiding Officer William Lindsay says raising the price by even half a penny would generate $3 mllion-$12 million, which could be used to help fill an $85 million budget gap and prevent dozens of layoffs in January.This is the second time legislators have voted for a tax increase since Election Day. Last month, lawmakers overrode County Executive Steve Levy's (R-Suffolk) veto and raised police taxes by 2 percent in Suffolk's five western towns. The money was used to avoid 700 layoffs. The county executive could still veto the tax hike.