Babylon Town approves tax exemption for permanently disabled veterans
Babylon Town Hall in Lindenhurst. The town board voted 4-0, with one member absent, to approve the legislation. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
The Babylon Town Board has approved a property tax exemption for permanently disabled veterans.
The new legislation provides a full exemption for veterans who were honorably discharged and are permanently disabled with a qualifying condition as defined under the state's Veterans’ Services Law.
In addition, to qualify for the tax break, the veteran has to be rated 100% disabled and unemployable by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The new legislation also states that veterans must be eligible for monetary assistance from the federal government, or have received such assistance, and used it to get or modify housing with required special features because of their disability.
The town is the latest Long Island municipality to move forward with the legislation, which was written by the state and signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Dec. 19, with towns given the option to enact it. Two weeks ago, Babylon passed two other tax exemptions that Hochul had signed off on: one for 50% of assessed value for spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty, and another for 25% of assessed value to members of the military in combat zones.
At a public hearing Wednesday on the veterans’ exemption, Gregory Innes, of East Farmingdale, spoke in favor of the legislation, telling the board of how he was exposed to the toxic herbicide Agent Orange during the Vietnam War while serving with the U.S. Air Force. Innes said he has Parkinson’s disease and is now disabled.
“I ask the board — I understand that everything revolves around money — that the town board exempt total disabled veterans like myself to give us the chance to live out the rest of our lives with some dignity and respect,” he said. “Believe me, I’d rather have my health back than any dollar amount, but I can’t do that.”
Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer told Innes he is “the exact person who this was intended for.”
The board voted 4-0, with one member absent, to approve the legislation.
Applications for the tax breaks must be submitted to the town by March 2 and owners will have to refile each year, said Town Assessor Matt Cronin.
Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.
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