Babylon loosens restrictions for some disabled veterans to get a property tax break

The Town of Babylon is making it easier for permanently disabled veterans to get a break on their property taxes.

In February, the town first approved the tax exemption, which was made possible through state legislation signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul in December.

That tax break had the following requirements to qualify: honorable discharge or a qualifying Restoration of Honor/LGBT-veteran discharge; a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs determination of permanent and total disability from military service; a 100% disability rating; individual unemployability; and having received monetary assistance from the federal government to get or modify housing with required special features because of the disability.

Veterans were appreciative of the tax break but criticized the stringent requirements set by the state, said Babylon Town Councilman DuWayne Gregory, who heads the town’s Veterans Advisory Council.

“Almost right away, the governor and the state realized there had to be some tweaks to the law,” he said.

Those changes came in April with the passing of the state budget, Babylon Town Assessor Matt Cronin said, and limit the requirements to only the honorable discharge and total disability determination.

The town will hold a public hearing on Oct. 7 on a proposal to amend the tax exemption to those two requirements. Other municipalities, such as Smithtown, already have amended their laws to reduce the requirements.

Gregory said he heard from some veterans who met three or four of the original requirements, but since they didn’t meet them all, they did not qualify.

“We’re happy that the state heard that message and decided to make the changes so that this can be available to more veterans,” he said.

Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Jessie Bell, of West Babylon, said the most onerous requirement was qualifying for adaptive housing. Bell, 67, had applied for the exemption under the previous qualifications and was denied, he said, despite having a determination of permanent and total disability from military service.

“You could have someone who has that [total disability] rating for PTSD, so what kind of adaptive housing would that person need?” he said.

The exemption in Babylon applies only to town taxes and town special districts. Other taxing jurisdictions, including the county and school districts, must opt in on their own.

Bell said it’s unlikely that there will be a high number of people who qualify, and so it would not be a financial burden.

“The veterans have to put some pressure on their individual school boards to adopt it,” Bell said. “There’s going to be a lot of animosity if one district is doing it but another isn’t.”

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.