Hewlett-Woodmere board approves veterans tax exemption

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The Hewlett-Woodmere Board of Education voted unanimously at their Sept. 17 regular meeting to approve an alternative tax exemption that will allow military veterans to pay less in school property taxes.
School board president Scott McInnes said that action taken by the trustees is not the usual way they conduct business.“We as a board pass a budget, which then goes to the voters and gets voted on,” he said. “In this scenario, we took action on something passed by Albany that will not be voted on by the rest of the community. It was that much more important for us to hear from them and what they wanted.”
The board was moved to make decision after more than 50 military veterans attended the board’s Sept. 10 meeting and supported the partial tax emption.
Four resolutions were approved for the exemption to be granted, district officials said. The exemption is based on New York’s real property tax law, and includes a basic maximum tax exemption of $12,000 for all wartime veterans, an additional $8,000 for those who served in a combat zone, and an additional $40,000 for veterans who served in a combat zone and suffered a “service-connected” disability.
Gold Star families — direct relatives of servicemen and women who were killed in combat — who own homes in the district would also be considered eligible, as well as veterans living in co-ops and those who transfer their home ownership to another property in the district.
Board member Jonathan Altus expressed his gratitude for the veterans’ service and their interest in the legislation. “I want to thank the veterans for coming out,” he said. “I hope they continue to come out so their voices can be heard, and we as a board can implement what the community wants.”
Victor Rodriguez, a Woodmere resident and Marine veteran who served two years of active duty in Vietnam, said that the legislation passed was important because it goes beyond just flags and ceremonies. “I feel great,” he said. “This goes to help everything, financially. This shows that they acknowledge us veterans as a special group in our community, and that we’ve done something special in society.”