Property tax exemptions to be automatically renewed for needy seniors and persons with disabilities

                                                                           

Assessment Office before Moog resigned as assessor  (from New York-CBS Local.com)

           

The Nassau legislature is holding an emergency meeting Thursday to again allow automatic renewals of property tax exemptions for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities rather than require  in-person visits to the county assessor's office to file the necessary paperwork.

Gov. Kathy Hochul this year followed in the path of predecessor Andrew Cuomo by issuing an executive order that permits local governments to lift in-person renewal requirement for property tax exemptions, a practice followed by Nassau for years.

Hochul cited the currant surge in coronavirus cases in New York apparently stemming from the new highly contagious Omicron variant.

“As we battle this winter surge, we are using every tool to protect our most vulnerable neighbors,”  she said in a statement on Dec. 26.  “The thousands of low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities who rely on property tax exemptions should not have to risk their health and safety to remain in their homes."

The county legislature enacted similar legislation last year, originally filed by Democratic lawmaker, who are a minority on the Republican-controlled legislature.

"Not only will this benefit residents who rely upon these exemptions to meet their expenses, it protects our taxpayers and county employees by eliminating office visits that could contribute to the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant," Democratic legislative spokesman Danny Schrafel said in a statement. "It's good to see that the common-sense approach that the Minority Caucus advocated for last winter is on track to bcoming a best practice."

Nassau lawmakers need to act immediately to make sure that the exemptions are part of the new tentative assessment roll that is issued Jan. 1.


 


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