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Connetquot board hears plan to raise senior, disabled school‑tax income thresholds; $1.16M shift projected
Summary
Board received a presentation on raising the district's low‑income senior and disabled school‑tax exemption threshold from $29,000 to $50,000; presenter said the change could add roughly 328 parcels and shift an estimated $1,157,649 in school tax burden onto non‑eligible taxpayers, with example homeowner impacts described.
The Connetquot Central School District board on Monday heard a detailed presentation about raising the district’s low‑income senior and disabled school‑tax exemption thresholds, a change that district staff said would expand eligibility and shift tax burden within the district.
An unidentified presenter, citing town assessor data, said the district currently uses a $29,000 income limit for a 50% school‑tax exemption and discussed proposals to raise that threshold to $50,000 (or adopt a sliding scale up to numbers shown on the town’s model). The presenter said moving the threshold from $29,000 to $50,000 would make roughly 328 additional parcels eligible and would remove $5,330,000 in assessed value from the current eligibility band, producing an estimated $1,157,649 in school tax that would be “shifted or spread out and paid for by those people who are non‑low‑income senior citizens and non‑low‑income disabled persons,” according to the presenter.
The presenter gave homeowner impact examples, including an estimate that a typical residential owner would see about a $16.88 annual increase under one scenario and discussed higher and lower impacts by assessment tiers. Board members and members of the public asked whether the town and county limits (which the presenter cited as higher) would affect district choices and whether grant revenue could offset levy increases. The presenter said grant funds into the general fund could reduce levy pressure but cautioned about the reliability of such funding year to year.
No formal action was taken; the presenter noted the town’s March 1 deadline if the board wishes to formally adopt a higher limit and said the board could instead vote on the change at its December or January meeting. Board questions focused on eligibility counts (the presenter cited 269 currently qualifying parcels for the $29,000 limit), the mechanics of the sliding scale, and the tradeoffs between broader exemptions and shifting tax burden to non‑eligible taxpayers.
Next steps: staff will provide more detailed models and scenarios at a future meeting if the board requests them, and the board may schedule an adoption vote at an upcoming meeting.
