District tax collector explains new state income thresholds for senior and disability partial exemptions

Cynthia Pinter, the district tax collector, told the Newburgh City School District Board of Education at a Feb. 25 public hearing that state law recently raised income thresholds used to calculate the partial property-tax exemption for senior citizens and for people with disabilities and limited income.

"My name is Cynthia Pinter and I'm the tax collector for the district," Pinter said, opening her slide presentation on the exemption. She said taxpayers — particularly seniors — repeatedly ask, "Why are my taxes so high? Why does my bill keep going up?" and explained the exemption change is one factor that can affect bills.

Pinter said the district’s current local income threshold for the maximum 50% exemption was set in 2006 at about $24,000 and has not been adjusted to match subsequent state law changes. New York State law, she said, has allowed a higher maximum income since a change in February 2009, and more recently the governor signed legislation to increase the maximum threshold to $50,000.

The tax collector told the board the state-recommended change would raise the district’s top 50% exemption threshold to $50,000 and extend the sliding-scale cap to an upper figure Pinter cited as $58,399. She said the district does not currently offer a disability-and-limited-income exemption at the same level the speaker described for seniors.

Pinter noted the district is made up of three municipalities and that the town and city of Newburgh have already approved the $50,000 threshold. She said the Town of New Windsor had approved a slightly lower threshold previously, and the presenter summarized the eligibility differences: the senior exemption is age-based (65 or older) while the disability exemption requires proof of disability.

The public hearing closed after Pinter’s presentation and the board moved on to other business. Pinter did not propose a specific local resolution during her remarks; the presentation served to inform the board and public about the state change and the choices the district can make about matching the new thresholds.

Why this matters: raising the eligibility threshold can restore or expand exemption eligibility for low- and moderate-income seniors and people with disabilities, which could lower property tax bills for households that qualify and shift the district’s tax levy responsibility across the remaining tax base.

Board next steps: Pinter’s slides and comments framed a policy choice for the board — whether to adopt the higher state-recommended income thresholds locally. The presenter noted municipalities can adopt the state-recommended thresholds independently; she said the town and city of Newburgh had done so and urged the board to consider the district’s thresholds in light of the new state law.