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Allegany County veteran services agency says grant decision delayed and warns new state tax exemption currently excludes many veterans
Summary
Veteran Services Agency reported a delayed grant decision, noted only five applicants for an outward ops grant with three awards to be made, and warned that a state property tax exemption signed Dec. 19 contains eligibility language that, as written, would exclude many veterans; the county has requested a chapter amendment.
Mister Meda, the county representative for the Veteran Services Agency, reported that a December application to an "outward ops" grant program is delayed and that decision notifications originally scheduled for Jan. 2 were postponed; he said officials now expect a decision in "one to two weeks." He told the committee the program received five applications and will award three grants, leaving Allegany County with a reasonable chance for an award.
Meda also warned that a new veterans property tax exemption law signed Dec. 19 contains eligibility criteria that, in its final form, differ from the version the Veterans and Military Affairs committees proposed. "I can't think of any veteran in the state of New York that qualifies for the new exemption," he said, explaining that the statute narrows eligibility to individuals meeting one of four specified conditions (post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, a military sexual trauma designation, or certain LGBTQ-designated discharges) plus a 100% VA disability rating and eligibility for VA specially adaptive housing. Meda said the language as enacted would leave some veterans with service-connected disabilities—such as ALS sufferers—without the intended exemption.
Meda said the State County Veterans Service Officers Association, which he serves on, has contacted the veterans and military affairs joint services committee to request a chapter amendment to fix the statutory language. He described the change as not mandatory for municipalities but said that without correction the statute "is not going to be of any value to any veteran that lives in Allegany County." The agency did not provide a statute number in the meeting.
The report also covered outreach and programming: staff member Joanne completed New York State Department of Veterans Services accreditation training and received VA recognition; she is scheduled for national accreditation training in March that would expand representation options. The agency outlined several upcoming events: a January 23 "coffee talk" with Alfred State University and Alfred University students, a public community forum with the crew of the ship named for Jason Dunham on the Saturday the seventeenth, a meet-and-greet dinner at the Cuba VFW, a Sunday breakfast at the Wellsville American Legion, and a joint county block of seating and activities for a hockey game on March 28. Meda said registration for events is available via the county veterans web page and social channels.
What happens next: the agency expects the grant-making body to set a new decision date in the coming one to two weeks; the county will pursue a chapter amendment to the recently enacted veterans tax-exemption law to restore broader eligibility.
