Columbia County opens public hearing and adopts Local Law 2 of 2025 to extend tax exemptions for volunteer responders

The Columbia County Board of Supervisors opened a public hearing on Local Law 2 of 2025 — a proposal to provide real property tax exemptions for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers — and proceeded to adopt the measure after hearing no public comment.

The clerk read the public notice, stating the proposed law would "provide real property tax exemptions for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers for civil section 4 66 a and 4 66.1 of the real property tax law" and that copies of the proposed law were available in the Clerk of the Board's office and on the Board's website. The notice was entered into the record by the clerk.

During the hearing, one supervisor identified only as "Supervisor Chris" said they were "pleased to see this move forward" and described the measure as a correction to last year’s law. No members of the public spoke during the hearing.

After closing the hearing the board took a voice vote; the chair declared the measure passed. The clerk recorded that the public hearing was closed and the local law advanced for further board action.

The action advances a local policy change implementing property-tax exemptions for volunteer emergency personnel under the county's interpretation of the cited sections of the Real Property Tax Law. The board did not provide a detailed vote tally on the record during the meeting; the clerk and chair indicated the motion carried by voice vote.

The county clerk’s office will hold the official text of Local Law 2 of 2025 and the final record of the vote.