MONTICELLO - In order to explain the benefits of enacting new New York State Tax Exemption 466A, a public hearing before the Sullivan County Legislature was held last Thursday, July 20.

Real Property Tax Services Director, Chris Knapp, gave an overview on the Volunteer Fire fighter and EMS workers volunteer exemption, explaining that the current exemption will be repealed in December of 2025.

The new tax exemption 466A must be exercised through adoption of a local law, ordinance or resolution. It is at the discretion of each city, county, town, village, school district or fire district in New York State in whether they may allow or not to allow the exemption.

“The current exemption offers a 10 percent exemption on your total assessed value, which is capped at $3,000 and needs to be multiplied by the State’s latest equalization rate,” said Knapp, who further explained that each jurisdiction would have to pass exemption 466A in order for it to be an advantage to the volunteers.

 “Even if the county offers it for the average home at a $210,000 market value, the county town and school would be $466,” Knapp said.

 “If the county and all towns passed it [466A], the amount saved would be $220, which would be nearly equivalent to what you can get with the income tax credit.”

According to Knapp, some of the jurisdictions that have already enacted 466A are Neversink Fire District, Loch Sheldrake Fire District, Woodridge Fire District, Town of Mamakating, Howells Fire District, Minisink School District and Ellenville School District.

Knapp explained that if NY State Senate Bill S4889 is passed, it could raise income tax credit from $200 to $500 for individuals and from $400 to $1,000 for spouses, as well as it would make the process for volunteers “much easier” because they would not have to fill anything out with their assessors.

Volunteers will be eligible to apply for the exemption if they have been certified as an enrolled member of an incorporated volunteer fire company, fire department, or ambulance service for a minimum of five years.