Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay) announced that legislation he co-sponsored, to reform the state’s School Tax Relief (STAR) program to fix changes made in last years’ budget and remove barriers to prompt tax relief (A.5969) has passed the assembly.

“The changes made last year hurt middle-class families the most,” said Jones. “Homeowners in the North Country struggled to pay their local taxes while waiting for a rebate check that in many cases has still not arrived. That is why I fought for this legislation to pass quickly, so we can keep money into the pockets of hardworking residents.”

Before last year, all eligible homeowners saw a yearly reduction in their school tax bill. Now, all new homeowners – those who bought their first home and those who moved to a different home – have to pay a higher school tax bill then register for a rebate check from the state, which they are supposed to receive each fall. Although the amount of the benefit is the same, the new system is incredibly inconvenient for the affected homeowners, noted Jones.

In the last couple of months since taking office, Jones has received numerous phone calls from constituents who have not received their rebate checks or received it months late.

“I think it would be a good thing, I’m fortunate that I can afford to pay the full tax upfront but there are a lot of people out there who can’t do that, ” said North Bangor resident Lee Robert. “It is quite a burden on a lot of people.”

“This program seemed to work perfectly fine before,” said Plattsburgh resident Danielle Giard. “The change has caused undue stress on me and many others, especially during the holiday season.”

The Assembly legislation reverses these changes and transitions the program back to the way it was, by providing tax relief upfront, returning administration back to local assessors and requiring the state to assist localities in notifying residents of the changes so all qualified homeowners receive the exemption. The measure also provides a minimum of 60 days for new homeowners who have not yet registered with the state to apply for the exemption for the 2017-18 school year.