Oyster Bay, North Hempstead approve veteran tax exemptions

The Oyster Bay and North Hempstead town boards on Tuesday approved property tax exemptions for disabled veterans.

The exemptions, for veterans with disabilities related to their service, follows similar moves by other Long Island towns in recent months.

The state approved legislation permitting towns, cities and school districts to waive property taxes for disabled veterans and, in some cases, other family members, Newsday has reported.

Oyster Bay on Tuesday also passed a law providing a 50% town property tax exemption to the surviving spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty. Several Long Island towns have either passed or are considering passed similar exemptions, Newsday has reported.

“All of our veterans are very important to us. We owe so much to their sacrifice,” Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said during the town board meeting. “So, it is important today to send this strong message.”

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said veterans “gave all for our country and our community.”

The new law allows taxing jurisdictions to provide tax relief to veterans who are considered fully disabled and unemployable by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The veterans are also eligible for financial assistance from the federal government.

The law applies only to the veterans' primary residence. The previous state law limited exemptions to 15% of property value, capped at $12,000.

The towns of Hempstead, Babylon and Brookhaven have approved laws granting the updated exemptions for veterans. 

Yaron Levy, a North Hempstead councilman, suggested during the meeting that school systems consider adopting the exemptions.

“We’re talking about people, men and women, salt of the earth, that have given every fiber in their body, up to 100%, for the betterment, for the success, for the stability, for the common good, for everybody,” Levy said.

The Smithtown, Sayville and Connetquot school districts recently approved exemptions for spouses of slain police officers, Newsday has reported.

Doug Larose, an assistant town attorney in Oyster Bay, said the surviving spouse of a police officer must be the sole owner of the property and it must be used for residential purposes.

“The main thrust here is to allow these surviving members of the family to continue to reside here in the Town of Oyster Bay and for us to show how much we appreciate the ultimate sacrifice that their deceased spouse suffered,” Larose said.