Arkwright approves tax exception for veterans
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ARKWRIGHT -- Back in July, when the Town of Arkwright first discussed the idea of offering a tax exemption to veterans, Supervisor Brian McAvoy called it "the right thing to do." A couple months later, his fellow Board members took action to share that sentiment.
The Town of Arkwright has approved a real property tax exemption for military veterans by local law. Councilman Larry Ball, a U.S. Army veteran, recused himself from the vote, while the rest of the Board approved the local law.
After an inquiry from a resident, McAvoy could not come up with a good reason why not to offer a tax exemption to veterans. McAvoy sought clarity on the potential impact on the town, and after a discussion with Assessor Jeanne Ebersole, McAvoy came to the conclusion that offering a tax exemption to veterans would not be a significant expense for the Town of Arkwright.
McAvoy said it could end up being more of a "ceremonial" gesture than a major benefit to veterans, but that any exemption is worth pursuing. Ball said that as a veteran himself, he feels it is the principle of the decision that matters most.
Municipalities have three levels of exemptions that can be made available to veterans, including disabled veterans, combat veterans, and "Cold War Veterans", applying to all unnamed wars. Each exemption is capped at a certain amount, then equalized.
Depending on a veteran’s classification, they can expect a reduction of $21 to $107 in their Arkwright town taxes, commencing in 2028. The Assessor's Office will be reaching out to the town’s veterans to remind them to apply before March 1, 2027.
Veterans exemptions have been available since 1984, but it took until now for Arkwright to adopt a local law permitting veterans in the town to take advantage. McAvoy lamented that the Town did not adopt the exemptions earlier in his six-year tenure as Supervisor, but was pleased it could be done now.
Instead of shifting the additional tax burden to the remaining residents of the town, McAvoy stated that there is enough money in the reserve accounts to cover the difference. McAvoy wants to use the Town's existing funds and revenue streams, such as the wind turbine revenue, to account for the impact of any veterans tax exemptions.
The Town of Arkwright is still waiting on some numbers, but the preliminary budget for 2027 will be addressed during a public hearing at the Board's monthly meeting in November. The Town has two public hearings scheduled in October, so the budget hearing was pushed off another month.
One of the two public hearings in October pertains to the new Fire Protection Contract with the Village of Cassadaga. McAvoy stated the contract is an extension of the current agreement, spanning five years with annual increases of 2% per the inflationary tax cap factor set by the State Comptroller. The previous contract included a cost-based 6% increase the first year, then another 2% inflationary increase annually. The new contract only contains the inflationary increases.
McAvoy commended Cassadaga Mayor Rudy Abersold for getting the agreement worked out with "ease". McAvoy also expressed his appreciation for the Cassadaga and Forestville Fire Departments.
Another public hearing to be held in October pertains to a law to designate a section of Ball Road as minimum maintenance. Highway Superintendent Lisa Waldron has until Nov. 1 to designate seasonal roads and has the sole authority to do so. Plowing, graveling, and ditching activity along Putnam Road was also discussed at the recent meeting.