Seeking Public Input On Vet Tax Exemptions
By Thaddeus Flint
A Stephentown man is organizing a petition drive to gauge support for Alternative Veterans Tax Exemptions in the New Lebanon Central School District.
Dennis Burek, who is a resident of the NLCS District, said he and a group of organizers are looking to have the New Lebanon School Board poll the community in some way to see what residents’ thoughts are on the exemptions. “We aren’t trying to show support for or against the exemptions,” said Burek on Monday. The plan is merely to show that residents support a discussion of the topic. To date, said Burek, over 150 residents have signed the petition that asks the Board “to pulse how community residents feel about implementing the veterans’ school tax exemption. This survey can be done via mail, online or via a straw vote. We recognize this survey or vote would not be binding, but it will provide valuable input to the Board of Education.”
The exemption opportunity has been around since December of 2013. However, it is up to each school district to make a decision to enact them or not. The reason a district might not enact them is because the State doesn’t provide them the missing money from their budgets. The residents who aren’t eligible for exemptions would shoulder the difference. Just over 40% of school districts in New York State have approved the exemptions. In the Eastwick area, Hoosick Falls, Averill Park, and East Greenbush now offer the exemptions. The Berlin Central School District, under Board President Frank Zwack, decided not to offer the exemption, but only after the Board went from town to town to see what residents’ feelings were on the subject. Most residents in that case apparently didn’t have much feeling on the matter as those meetings were sparsely attended.
Burek said the NLSCD Board doesn’t even need to make the same effort. “A survey would be fine,” he said, citing a recent effort by the Troy Central School District to gauge resident’s feelings on the matter. Troy surveyed residents from September to October in 2018 and received 413 responses, with 65% saying they supported some level of exemption. The Troy School Board then had a public hearing on January 16 to further gauge response. A decision is now scheduled for February 16.
New Lebanon considered the matter a year ago and voted against it, but it has not polled the public. According to Burek, “every school district in Columbia County has passed the veterans exemption except the New Lebanon School Board.”
Residents interested in signing the petition can do so at several businesses in New Lebanon, among them Van Deusen Automotive, and Country Squire Supply, both just east of the Speedway on State Route 20. Also at Johnny’s Barber Shop across from the Library. For other locations, Burek can be contacted at 518-794-6086.
Burek said he hopes to present the petition to the School Board at the upcoming February 13 meeting. “The Board is made up of good people who care about residents of the school district,” said Burek. “I am confident that they will proceed with the wishes of the petitioners who they represent.”