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Board weighs requiring fire chiefs to provide backing data for volunteer-exemption claims
Summary
The assessor and legal staff proposed language requiring volunteer fire department chiefs to provide annual supporting data (including state reports) to substantiate property-tax exemptions tied to volunteer service; board members asked staff to confirm what logs are already produced and whether departments can supply detailed backups rather than single-line summaries.
At the March 18 work session the town assessor and legal counsel discussed proposed language to tighten documentation for the property-tax exemption granted to volunteer firefighters and ambulance responders.
The proposed wording would require department chiefs to provide the assessor with annual data similar to what is reported to New York State, including the number of calls each volunteer responded to for the calendar year prior to the taxable status date. The requirement is intended to ensure volunteers who receive the exemption meet activity thresholds (a 10% call-response requirement was discussed).
Assessor Edie said chiefs already provide certified annual lists of active members and that volunteers submit renewal forms; legal counsel said the proposed language would ask for the supporting logs or the source files used to create the summary so the assessor would have backup data. Board members asked staff to confirm what specific records are transmitted to the state, whether those logs already exist in an exportable format, and whether asking for backups would impose an operational burden on seven departments and roughly 170 volunteers.
Legal counsel said the record in the pending matter closes on Friday and requested the boards guidance; staff agreed to check available formats and return with workable language so the exemption can be justified to voters and enforced consistently.
