Under an executive order that Governor Andrew Cuomo issued last week, towns and villages in New York State may choose to automatically renew property tax exemptions in 2021 for residents who received those exemptions in 2020.
Earlier this month, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. of Sag Harbor urged Mr. Cuomo to issue such an order. Mr. Thiele told the governor that many seniors and people with disabilities who receive property tax exemptions face a choice between going to government offices in person to renew their exemptions — potentially exposing themselves to COVID-19 — or staying home and losing their exemptions. Online or mail-in options are available in many municipalities, though the assemblyman said many seniors routinely submit their annual renewals in person. He asked the governor to give local municipalities the option to waive the renewal requirement for one year.
“As we continue to see COVID-19 cases rise on the East End of Long Island and across the state, risk of transmission and infection remain very real threats,” Mr. Thiele said in a statement. “It is only logical that the state afford appropriate protections to vulnerable populations, like suspending this renewal requirement while allowing qualifying property owners to continue to receive this beneficial tax exemption that they are entitled to. I am pleased that the governor has heeded the concerns of myself and local elected officials statewide, and has given local governments this option.”
The governor’s order noted that this move also saves assessors the work of mailing renewal notices to homeowners.
Staff Writer on Dec 22, 2020