Connetquot, Smithtown, Sayville school districts approve property tax exemptions for spouses of officers killed in line of duty
The Connetquot school board voted this week to approve a property tax exemption for the spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty. Credit: Morgan Campbell
Three Long Island school districts have approved property tax breaks for the spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty — a policy that police union officials and families are hoping will be adopted Islandwide.
The Smithtown, Sayville and Connetquot school boards recently adopted the measure after a state law passed last year allowed municipalities and school districts to provide up to 50% property tax exemptions to widows and widowers of police officers killed on the job.
"Our board holds the deepest respect for our police officers and for the families who stand behind them, sharing in the burdens and sacrifices that come with keeping our community safe,” Sayville school board President Christine Sarni said in a statement. The tax exemption, she said, is "one small but meaningful way we can honor their sacrifices and ensure their families feel the lasting gratitude and support of the district they lived in."
Matthew Gribbin, president of the Smithtown school board, said in a statement the board "is proud to stand behind our police officers and their families."
The Connetquot school board approved the measure Tuesday, according to agenda item details posted online. “We hope this act provides ongoing financial support and stability to those affected,” the board said in a statement.
School districts lobbied
Patricia Mullen, president of the Concerns of Police Survivors New York chapter, said she has been sending letters to school districts across Long Island advocating for the exemption.
Her late husband, Suffolk police detective Stephen Mullen, died in 2018 of cancer contracted from working at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“I wake up every morning wondering what can I do today to make my husband proud," said Mullen, of Massapequa. "I'm supporting other survivors who have lost their loved ones in the line of duty, and keeping my husband's memory alive."
Mullen said the tax break will ease the financial burden for spouses of fallen police officers living on Long Island, where school taxation accounts for more than 60% of homeowners' property tax bills. The exemption only applies to the spouse's primary residence. Spouses must apply to their local government for any applicable deductions, Newsday previously reported.
Fran Wustenhoff said she became a single mother of three children under the age of 14 in 1990, when her late husband, Suffolk Det. Dennis Wustenhoff, was killed by a bomb that exploded as he started his Cadillac outside their North Patchogue home. The person or persons responsible were never found.
Wustenhoff, 74, now lives in Smithtown. She said she pays nearly $16,000 in annual property taxes and recently applied for the exemption.
"That would be a big savings, which I would be very grateful for," she said in a phone interview. “This is an honor to him and recognition for the work that he did."
Several towns, including Smithtown, Islip and Brookhaven, have also approved the measure. Nassau and Suffolk county lawmakers are expected to vote on the exemption next week.
Islandwide push
The heads of two major Long Island police unions hope all school districts will eventually greenlight the measure.
Timothy Eagen, superintendent of the Kings Park school district and president of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association, said in an email, "This is an individual conversation that superintendents and school boards will have in their districts. The exemptions impact districts differently."
Eagen said the Kings Park district is assessing the implications of the exemption.
Marie Testa, president of the Nassau County Council of School Superintendents and head of the North Bellmore school district, said individual school boards will review the exemption.
“We are all united in our commitment to supporting the families of those who serve and protect our communities," she said, adding her district's school board will consider the measure at its March 12 meeting.
“It’s important the public know how much we value ... and respect our police officers,” she said.
Louis Civello, president of the Suffolk Police Benevolent Association, said the exemption will apply to deaths stemming from illnesses contracted as a result of working at Ground Zero that have been covered by the New York State pension system, because they are considered line of duty fatalities.
Thomas Shevlin, president of the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association, said in a message that the union is “exploring options to put into law that would either add to the definition of line of duty to include travel to work and/or a stand alone bill that would require a Nassau County home rule.”
Nassau County Police Officer Patricia Espinosa, 42, was on her way to work in January when her car was struck by an alleged drunken driver who was speeding at 70 mph before he ran a red light.
Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.
