NEW ROCHELLE, NY (October 8, 2023) — Veterans with service-related disabilities in New Rochelle will no longer be required to pay school property taxes on their primary residences, according to an announcement by the City School District Board of Education.
The board passed a resolution at its Oct. 8 meeting, following a public hearing, to implement the exemption for assessment rolls on or after Oct. 8. Under New York State Real Property Tax Law § 458-a (11), school districts can adopt a resolution providing a full exemption from school district real property taxes for the primary residence of a qualifying veteran with a service-connected disability.
In May, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation allowing the exemption as a local option for school districts and revising eligibility requirements. New Rochelle requires veterans to provide a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs confirming permanent and total disability resulting from military service to qualify.
Talk of the Sound asked the City School District of New Rochelle whether it had conducted a fiscal impact analysis before approving the exemption, how many veterans were expected to qualify, how much revenue might be affected and whether the exemption would shift additional property taxes onto other homeowners. The questions came as the district continues to grapple with budget deficits, spending reductions and staff cuts.
District spokesperson Monica Mahaffey did not answer the questions directly, instead referring the records-related portion of the inquiry to the district’s Records Access Officer under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). When asked separately whether the district had even attempted to estimate the cost of the exemption, Mahaffey provided no further response. It remains unclear whether the Board of Education evaluated the financial consequences before voting to approve the exemption.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
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