Disabled veterans in Schenectady County will soon pay nothing in county property taxes on their primary homes, after county lawmakers approved two local laws expanding tax exemptions for veterans, seniors, and residents with disabilities. The changes also open the door to reduced assessments for older homeowners and people with disabilities who meet income limits.
The Schenectady County Legislature announced the approval Tuesday, according to NEWS10, which reported that two local laws have been approved that will expand property tax exemptions for eligible veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities. Under one of the laws, primary residences belonging to veterans who are permanently disabled as a result of military service will be fully exempt from county property taxes once the 2027 assessment roll takes effect.
How Veterans Can Apply
Qualifying veterans will be able to apply through verified documentation on the county's website in the coming weeks, per the same NEWS10 report. The outlet did not specify an exact date the application portal will go live or detail what documentation will be required.
County Legislature Chair Gary Hughes framed the veterans' exemption as a matter of support for those who served. He said permanently service-disabled veterans deserve support and that the exemption can ease their financial burden, the station reported.
New Relief for Seniors and Residents With Disabilities
The second local law broadens exemptions for residents age 65 and older, as well as for people with disabilities who meet income requirements. For impacted homeowners earning under $50,000 a year, the change could reduce assessed property value by up to 50%, with that percentage gradually decreasing for those with higher incomes, the report notes.
“Expanding this exemption will help provide some breathing room for seniors and people with disabilities living on limited incomes,” Hughes said, according to the station's report. He added that the expanded exemptions can help seniors and people with disabilities on limited incomes remain in their homes.
Part of a Wider Push Across New York
Schenectady County's move follows similar action elsewhere in the state. The same NEWS10 report notes that similar tax changes have recently been implemented in the city of Albany, where veterans with permanent and total service-connected disabilities can now receive a 100% exemption from property taxes on their primary residence.
Elsewhere in the state, the Onondaga County Legislature recently approved a local law providing a full property-tax exemption for the primary home of eligible permanently and totally disabled veterans, while Suffolk County adopted a local law earlier this year stating that the primary residence of any seriously disabled veteran shall be fully exempt from taxation, according to a Suffolk County Legislature resolution.
These county and city moves build on state-level groundwork. New York's tax department says recent legislation allows municipalities the option to offer a new property-tax exemption for eligible veterans who are considered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to have a permanent and total disability as a result of military service, according to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. The department's guidance frames the exemption as optional for municipalities rather than mandatory. Separately, the department also says local governments and school districts may offer a partial exemption for the legal residence of eligible homeowners with disabilities, under existing state rules.
A Local Pattern of Expanding Breaks
Schenectady itself has moved to widen tax relief for seniors before. The city council raised the income ceiling for the senior property-tax exemption from $37,399 per year to $40,399, according to a report from the Daily Gazette. The county's newly approved laws extend that same spirit of easing the tax burden on fixed-income households to a broader group of residents.
