The New Windsor Town Board will host two public hearings on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 555 Union Ave. Notices have been posted on the town website, and the proposed local laws are available for review at the town clerk’s office.
The first hearing will address an amendment to Chapter 263, Article III, of the town code. The change would allow the town to authorize a property tax exemption for volunteer firefighters, volunteer ambulance workers, and their qualifying un-remarried spouses.
According to town documents, state legislation previously allowed municipalities in certain counties to offer a 10% property tax exemption, up to a $3,000 maximum, for volunteers who own real property. Recent updates to the law eliminated the $3,000 cap, extended the exemption statewide, and provided a lifetime benefit for volunteers with 20 or more years of service. Additionally, un-remarried spouses of volunteers killed in the line of duty would retain the exemption.
The second hearing will focus on repealing and rescinding Local Law #3-2024, which permitted the town to override the tax levy limit. The repeal would replace the old law with a new version incorporating updated tax exemption provisions for firefighters and ambulance workers.
During the Dec. 2 workshop, Town Supervisor Stephen Bedetti addressed questions about the proposed tax exemption. Bedetti, a 40-year volunteer with the Vails Gate Fire Department, noted that the proposal had sparked confusion, with some mistakenly accusing him of being anti-firefighter. He emphasized his support for the measure and explained the need to repeal the current law to implement the updated tax exemption.
“It says we are repealing the tax law, but not reading further, where it says we’re rescinding it and replacing it with a new one,” Bedetti said. “We’re taking the newly passed tax exemption for both firefighters and ambulance personnel, repealing the old one, and enacting the new one.”
The town assessor will present the proposed exemption to the public during Wednesday night’s meeting.