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Shelter Island board sets Feb. 23 public hearings on senior, firefighter/EMS and ADU property-tax exemptions
Summary
The town board voted to set public hearings on Feb. 23 for three proposed local-law changes: raising senior exemption percentages, lowering the volunteer firefighter/EMS eligibility period, and adopting an ADU exemption with a $200,000 cap and staged phase-out.
At a special meeting convened during the work session, the Shelter Island Town Board read three draft local laws and voted to set public hearings for Feb. 23 on: (1) a senior-property-tax exemption amendment to raise the sliding-scale maximum to 65% for low-income seniors; (2) a change lowering the volunteer firefighter and EMS exemption qualifying period from five years to two years; and (3) a new accessory dwelling unit (ADU) exemption that would exempt up to $200,000 of added assessed value for qualifying year-round ADUs with a 10-year phased reduction.
Staff presented fiscal estimates during the discussion: Judith French noted the senior-exemption change would add about $21,000,000 of exempt assessed value townwide, which "translates to roughly $42,000 in tax dollars that needs to be redistributed amongst the rest of the tax base," and calculated that an average senior might save roughly $100–$175 depending on scenarios. The board took a roll-call vote; one board member announced an abstention and the motions carried. The board asked staff to repost clearer ADU-phaseout language and charts before the hearings.
