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Board hears presentation on state changes to volunteer firefighter/ambulance tax exemption; hearing held open
Summary
The board received a presentation summarizing state changes converting RPTL 466‑D to 466‑A that expand eligibility and let towns set exemption percentage and service‑length thresholds; public commenters raised fiscal and equity questions and the board held the hearing open to Feb. 26.
The Town of Greenberg received a presentation on Feb. 12 about state changes to the real property tax law that affect property‑tax exemptions for volunteer firefighters and ambulance members.
A presenter outlined the shift from RPTL 466‑D to 466‑A, explaining three main changes: towns may now choose an exemption from 0% to 10%; the required years of service to qualify may be set between two and five years (the previous local standard required five years); and volunteers who live in an abutting municipality may qualify for the exemption if the town adopts the law. The presenter said Greenberg currently lists about 171 volunteers across the town and noted that many have long tenures; he also described the application and annual renewal process and said chiefs must certify that applicants met a 10% call‑response threshold over the prior two‑year period.
Speakers from the public asked about the fiscal effect on unincorporated areas, whether the exemption would shift the tax burden to other residents, and the interaction with village adoptions and school or county roles. A resident asked whether the forgiveness represented by an exemption creates taxable income for recipients; board members and staff answered that implementation details vary and required statutory forms and renewals would be administered by town offices in coordination with villages and the county. The presenter said the six villages in the town had already passed the updated law and that some villages were updating their local laws to reflect the state change.
Board members moved to hold the hearing open and continue it to Feb. 26 to allow additional public input; the motion passed on an oral vote.
Next steps include continued public comment before the board considers local adoption and staff follow‑up on the administrative details (how many unincorporated residents volunteer in village departments and the fiscal modeling of potential adoption).
