A school district near Albany is considering providing a property tax exemption to qualified first responders who live and serve within the district. The move comes after Governor Kathy Hochul recently approved a property tax exemption of up to 10% on the primary home for volunteer first responders, and local governments have the option to opt-in to the partial property tax exemption.
To qualify for the exemption, first responders must have been members of a fire department or ambulance service for at least two years. The exemption, if approved, would be applied for by the first responders who qualify.
The school district held a public hearing on January 18th to discuss the potential exemption, and the hearing was attended by local lawmakers, including Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R, C-Corning), who expressed his support for the exemption.
“If the services they provide to our local communities had to be paid services, it would cost property taxpayers more than $3 billion annually to pay for those services. So, a property tax exemption like this is really just a small token of appreciation and gratitude to these volunteers who dedicate countless hours going to training, working in the communities and going to protect your neighbors”, said Palmesano.
The hearing took place during the Board of Education meeting on January 18th at 7:00 PM in Room D-122 at the high school. The outcome of the hearing will determine whether the school district will move forward with the exemption.
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