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Town Board opens record on 10% volunteer first‑responder tax exemption amid verification debate
Summary
The Greenburgh Town Board discussed adopting a state‑authorized property‑tax exemption of up to 10% for active volunteer firefighters and ambulance volunteers. Debate centered on how to verify the 10% eligibility—assessor certification using fire chiefs’ call logs, or itemized call lists—and the board left the public record open for 10 days.
The Town Board of Greenburgh continued a public hearing on a local law to adopt a state‑authorized property‑tax exemption for active volunteer first responders, endorsing the exemption’s policy goals but leaving technical details open for further comment.
The proposal would allow a local exemption of up to 10% of assessed value for volunteers who meet an activity threshold. Assessor Edie told the board that chiefs already generate annual call reports and proposed adding, "the number of calls that they have responded to throughout the calendar year, and the number of calls each volunteer has responded to," so the assessor can verify the 10% threshold before the taxable status date.
Volunteer speakers urged a simple, verifiable approach. Vincent Coolahan, a deputy chief and longtime volunteer, said town and state reporting already record responses and that the verification process should not be burdensome: "Don't make it any more complicated because it's reportable in multiple forums," he said. James Macri, another volunteer, described training and sacrifices volunteers make and urged the board to approve the exemption as amended.
Opponents and some board members pressed on fairness and finance. One resident argued the exemption is an unequal form of compensation because it scales with property assessment, not service, asking how the town would replace revenue lost to other taxing jurisdictions. Assessor Edie and other officials responded that the exemption applies only to a volunteer's primary residence and that state law prescribes a percentage‑based exemption rather than a flat dollar amount.
After extended public comment and back‑and‑forth over whether chiefs should submit per‑call rosters or summary counts, the board voted to leave the public record open for 10 days and to post amended draft language for public review. The board and staff also asked fire chiefs to propose simple, verifiable reporting templates to guide the assessor’s work.
Next steps: the board left the record open for 10 days for written comment and directed staff and counsel to draft clarifying language addressing reporting responsibilities and verification procedures before adopting a final local law.
