A Suffolk County Legislature tax reform commission announced Thursday ideas to lower property taxes while increasing other forms of revenue.

With Suffolk homeowners paying five times the national tax average, the 17-member body focused on levying alternative taxes to balance out the revenue loss from a possible property tax cut. Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook) says high property taxes are driving a youthful workforce out of Long Island, meaning change is necessary and urgent.

Included in the commission's proposal is a $2 tax increase to a pack of cigarettes. Other ideas involve a 1 percent tax on homes worth more than $1 million, persuading the state legislatures to end unfunded mandates and installing off-track betting (OTB) video lottery terminals throughout the county.