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Board approves reducing service requirement for volunteer firefighter tax exemption
Summary
After a public hearing, the Sachem Central School District board approved changing the minimum years of service for the Real Property Tax Law 466 exemption for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers from five years to two, aiming to boost recruitment. The change must be adopted by March 1 to take effect for the next tax year.
The Sachem Central School District Board of Education voted to approve a change to the Real Property Tax Law 466 exemption for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers, reducing the minimum required years of service from five to two.
The board opened a public hearing to discuss the proposal and heard an explanation from district staff. "So the only thing that we were looking to change right now in the law was the minimum number of years from 5 to 2," district staff member Miss Sarakis said, adding the change is intended "to encourage recruitment, get more volunteers in to these programs." The staff presentation also reiterated that other existing provisions of the law would remain unchanged, including lifetime eligibility for volunteers with more than 20 years of service and survivor provisions for unremarried spouses.
Why it matters: The board was told local towns (Islip, Brookhaven and Smithtown) expect the fiscal shift to other taxpayers to be minimal because relatively few residents currently receive the exemption. Administration noted any district resolution would need to be adopted by March 1 to be effective for the next tax year.
Vote and next steps: The motion to approve the firefighter tax exemption change (moved by Rob, seconded by Mike) passed on a voice vote with the chair announcing the motion carried. Administration said the item will proceed as part of the district’s upcoming resolution timeline and will be incorporated into materials shared with taxpayers.
Public reaction: During the meeting’s public comment period, several residents raised broader concerns about property tax burdens and senior impacts; the board and administration offered follow-up conversations and reiterated the March 1 deadline for adoption.
The board did not provide a detailed fiscal estimate at the hearing beyond staff’s statement that the cost shift would be "minimal" given the small population of claimants; administration and town representatives will provide additional detail as the resolution is finalized.
