[Adopted 2-19-1985 by L.L. No. 2-1985]
Chapter 525 of the Laws of 1984 of the State of New York, adopted by
the State Legislature and effective August 30, 1984, provided for the addition
of § 458-a to the Real Property Tax Law (RPTL). Said § 458-a
of the RPTL provided for an alternative veterans exemption from local real
property taxes, to take effect in municipalities within the State of New York
on assessment rolls prepared on the basis of taxable status dates occurring
on or after March 31, 1985. Said statute provided, among other terms, that
such law would become mandatory unless the affected municipalities opted out
of its provisions within the period provided by said statute. In the case
of the Village, such period expired on October 2, 1984. Due to the inadequacy
of the advance notification of the adoption of this law by the state, the
inability of affected municipalities to thoroughly and intelligently study
and evaluate the potential impact of this law upon their local property tax
base and assessment rolls and the lack of options to municipalities seeking
additional time or information necessary to the formulation of a clear and
well-advised policy in these matters, the Village Board adopted Local Law
No. 1-1984, opting out of the provisions of said § 458-a. However,
in order to give fair opportunity for further study and evaluation of the
law, a special committee was authorized by said local law and duly appointed
by the Mayor for the specific purpose of preparing a report on the potential
impact of § 458-a of the RPTL on the Village's tax rolls, tax
rates and exemption limits, in the event of its ultimate adoption. This committee
rendered its findings and recommendations to the Board in January 1985. Accordingly,
it is the finding of the Board of Trustees, after carefully analyzing the
information and recommendations of the special committee, that § 458-a
of the RPTL should be made applicable within the Village, in the interest
of justice and fairness to those veterans previously excluded from the exempt-status
class by § 458 of the RPTL, the predecessor statute currently in
force and effect within the Village. The Board further finds that the adoption
of this statute shall increase the exemption limits applicable against Village
assessment rolls but that such increase shall be adequately offset by increases
in anticipated revenues and will have little, if any, adverse impact upon
current or future tax rates levied against all property within the Village.
It is, therefore, the purpose of this article to provide for the repeal of
Local Law No. 1-1984, which exempted the Village from the applicability of § 458-a
of the RPTL, the alternative veterans' exemption statute, thereby making
such law mandatory within the Village. The effect of such action shall be
to provide the benefits of the alternative exemption statute to those veterans
formerly excluded from the eligible class, without the imposition of further
restrictions, limitations or other artificial and arbitrary distinctions among
the members of such class.
Local Law No. 1-1984, adopted September 24, 1984, is hereby repealed
in its entirety. The provisions of § 458-a of the Real Property
Tax Law of the State of New York are hereby made applicable within the Village
of New Hyde Park, and the maximum veterans exemption allowable pursuant to
the provisions of such law shall be granted by the Village, pursuant to the
provisions of such statute, on and after the effective date of this article.
