FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2018
Contact: John Lyon (845) 638-5645; Laura Incalcaterra (845) 638-5184

ROCKLAND COUNTY GOVERNMENT DOES THE RIGHT THING FOR VETERANS

New City, NY - Rockland County Executive Ed Day held a signing ceremony with members of the Rockland County Legislature for two resolutions passed during Tuesday, February 20th's Legislative Meeting. The resolutions, an Exemption for Cold War Veterans and an Alternative Veterans Exemption, help reduce real property taxes for veterans. The resolutions were sponsored by Legislator Alden H. Wolfe.

"Society reserves the right to ensure fair and balanced treatment based upon contributions to that society," County Executive Ed Day said. "Few endeavors are worthier of that than to acknowledge those who wrote a blank check to Uncle Sam for an amount up to and including their life. If not for our veterans, the liberties we enjoy in this country would not be here, and I think the least we can do is to afford them some assistance in dealing with the day to day cost of living here in Rockland."

The Cold War Veterans Exemption calls for indefinitely extending the property tax exemption available to veterans of the Cold War. The law was scheduled to expire statewide this year, but local governments have been given the opportunity to extend their participation.

The exemption provides vets with exemptions similar to those given to wartime veterans. Cold War veterans served in the U.S. Armed Forces between Sept. 2, 1945, and Dec. 20, 1991.

The law provides a maximum 15 percent tax exemption on a veteran's primary residence that cannot exceed $40,000.

A second proposal, the Alternative Veterans Exemption, calls for increasing the maximum allowable exemption for wartime, combat and disabled veterans. The new law would increase the home value cap for the exemption to $250,000; up from $180,000.

The law provides a 15 percent assessment reduction to vets who served during a time of war (capped at $75,000); an additional 10 percent assessment reduction to vets serving in combat zones (capped at $50,000); and an additional assessment reduction to vets who incurred a service-connected disability (capped at $250,000).

"Our veterans are the reason we live in freedom today," Legislator Alden H. Wolfe said. "A tax exemption is just one way of recognizing their service and expressing our gratitude for their sacrifices."

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