Huntington seeks changes to Basic STAR

The Huntington Town Board recently adopted a resolution asking the State Legislature to revise the new process involved in determining whether homeowners qualify for the Basic STAR property tax relief.

Officials said the current system would cause up to 5,000 homeowners in the town to lose eligibility because the state has been unable to determine their income.

The board said the state department of taxation and finance used unreliable data, incomplete records and a faulty computerized process to question whether the 5,000 should lose the benefit, either because their incomes could not be determined or exceeded the $500,000 cap.

Previously, eligibility had been determined by local assessors, based on property owners’ income tax returns. The state recently required assessors to collect property owners’ Social Security numbers and report them to a state website so an eligibility determination can be made.