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Greenburgh board to restore 20‑year volunteer firefighter tax exemption after statutory omission
Summary
After resident and chief testimony about volunteer retention, the town attorney said a state law opt‑in change inadvertently left a 20‑year lifetime volunteer firefighter tax exemption out of the local code; the board scheduled a public hearing and aims to act before the May 1 taxable‑status date.
Residents, volunteer chiefs and board members pressed the Town of Greenburgh on Feb. 25 to restore a 20‑year lifetime real‑property tax exemption for volunteer firefighters that the town says was omitted from local law because a state change introduced an opt‑in provision.
Nelson Diaz, a longtime volunteer, told the board he only recently learned the exemption was not in the local law and urged a prompt fix. "Please fix that especially for the 20 years members," Diaz said, arguing the modest tax benefit helps retain long‑serving volunteers.
Town Attorney clarified the omission: a prior local practice automatically granted an exemption but a recent state real‑property tax law added an opt‑in step that was not incorporated into the town’s local law. The attorney said the board had informally polled members and will hold a public hearing next month to reintroduce the opt‑in clause and act before the May 1 taxable‑status date to preserve benefits for current qualifying volunteers.
Volunteer leaders and chiefs underscored the retention risk. David Dowd, a fire chief who said his department has about 48 members, said removing the benefit would deliver little fiscal relief while risking operational capacity, and asked for better communication between town staff and volunteer chiefs.
Why it matters: Volunteer fire companies provide core emergency services in much of Greenburgh. The board’s plan to hold a public hearing and move quickly before the May 1 taxable‑status deadline reflects an effort to limit disruption for volunteers while aligning town code with recent state statutory changes.
Next steps: The board will publish notices and hold a public hearing next month and expects to adopt a local law before the May 1 taxable‑status date so currently eligible volunteers retain the exemption. Financial and eligibility details will be set in the local‑law language presented at the hearing.
Attribution: Quotes and claims in this article come from speakers who identified themselves in the meeting record.
