Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) announced that on December 1, 2020, he sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo in support of a one-year suspension of the renewal requirement for the senior citizen and disability tax exemption, with local option. Section 467 of the New York State Real Property Tax Law provides a property tax exemption, through local governments, for senior citizens and persons with disabilities that meet certain income and other requirements.

Qualifying property owners that are eligible for this tax exemption must file a renewal application annually to maintain the exemption. It is not uncommon for those eligible to file renewal applications directly and in-person at their local assessor’s offices. In his letter, Assemblyman Thiele urged the Governor to act via Executive Order to temporarily rescind this requirement, echoing the sentiments of local elected officials across the state.  

Assemblyman Thiele stated, “As we continue to see COVID-19 cases rise on the East End of Long Island and across the state, risk of transmission and infection remain very real threats. It is only logical that the state afford appropriate protections to vulnerable populations, and suspend this renewal requirement while allowing qualifying property owners to continue to receive this beneficial tax exemption that they are entitled to. Failing to do so will only put seniors and persons that could be immunocompromised at an unnecessarily increased risk of contracting the virus.”