Brookhaven, Islip, Huntington OK tax breaks for spouses of police killed in line of duty
Michelle Holfester thanked Brookhaven Town Board members before they cast their votes Thursday. Her husband, William Holfester, died in 2008 at age 43. Credit: Thomas Hengge
Three more Suffolk County towns have adopted legislation offering property tax exemptions to the widows and widowers of police officers killed in the line of duty.
Town boards in Brookhaven, Islip and Huntington approved the measures this week. They were making use of a state law enacted in January allowing municipalities, school districts and other taxing agencies to discount up to 50% of property assessments for tax purposes.
The exemptions passed by the towns apply only to the town portion of property tax bills, officials said. School and fire districts, villages and other municipalities must pass their own exemptions.
Riverhead, Smithtown and Babylon previously passed the exemptions, Newsday has reported. Nassau County and the Town of Oyster Bay also were considering adopting the tax benefit.
The Islip Town Board voted 5-0 Tuesday to approve the exemption, which will take effect this year after the town fast-tracked its adoption, according to Councilman Michael McElwee.
“We have to stand behind [law enforcement],” McElwee said in a phone interview. “They make the sacrifice for all of our safety. I think it’s super important that we recognize and do what we can for the families who unfortunately lost people making that sacrifice, protecting us.”
The Brookhaven Town Board voted 6-0 on Thursday to approve the deduction.
The Huntington Town Board approved four measures that create or enhance tax breaks for qualifying low-income senior citizens; surviving spouses of firefighters and ambulance workers killed in the line of duty; surviving spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty; and active-duty military stationed in a combat zone. The board voted 4-0 to approve each measure at a meeting Wednesday.
Officials in the three towns said they could not estimate how many people might be eligible for the deductions or how they will affect town tax collections.
Exemptions apply only to spouses' primary residences, officials said.
Islip and Huntington residents must apply by Monday to have their exemptions applied to this year's property taxes, officials in both towns said.
The deadline for Brookhaven residents is March 30, Supervisor Dan Panico said.
Michelle Holfester, of Center Moriches, thanked Brookhaven Town Board members before they cast their votes. Her husband, William Holfester, an NYPD detective, died Jan. 22, 2008, from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma he contracted from recovery efforts following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. He was 43.
"On behalf of myself and all the survivors ... we thank you. We really thank you," Holfester told the board.
Panico said spouses of police who died from 9/11-related illnesses would be eligible for the exemption.
Statewide, 15 police officers died in the line of duty last year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page website. The Fairfax, Virginia, nonprofit counts fatalities from 9/11 illnesses as line-of-duty deaths.
Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.
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