Monroe weighs property tax exemption for firefighters, EMS

During the November 20 Monroe Town Board meeting, the board took up the issue of allowing volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency service workers to receive a 10% property tax exemption. This proposal is identical to one that was recently shared with the Monroe-Woodbury School District Board of Education at their meeting earlier in November. If both taxing entities opt-in, then under the NYS Real Property Tax Law § 466-a, qualifying volunteer firefighters and EMS workers would receive a maximum exemption of 10% on their school property taxes as well as their municipal property taxes. Town residents will have until January 17, 2024 to share their thoughts on this issue with the board.

Municipalities across the state have been encouraged to seek the maximum exemption of 10% to encourage local volunteerism, but they are not obligated to provide that top rate and can set a lower percentage, or none at all.

The Photo News spoke with Orange County Deputy Commissioner of Fire Services Vinnie Tankasali to provide an update on who has currently opted in. According to Tankasali, the school districts of Middletown, Minisink Valley, Wallkill, and Marlboro have opted in to the tax exemption, as have the town of Woodbury and Orange County itself. Within the area, there are around 130 people who would currently benefit from this tax exemption. When asked to break down how many members of the fire department and emergency services are paid versus volunteer, Tankasali said that the local fire departments and the Woodbury EMS are all volunteer. Monroe’s EMS situation is a little more complicated, with paid coverage being provided by Blooming Grove EMS to cover the town during the daytime hours.

One reader asked The Photo News why Orange County couldn’t just pay their EMS and firefighters. Tankasali stated that doing so would cost taxpayers between $10 and $20 million dollars, but it’s easier said than done to make this happen. There are multiple municipalities and organizations across the county with different processes and procedures when it comes to taxes. As one example, Tankasali mentioned how the town of Woodbury has a public fire department, but the organization that provides emergency services is private. Tankasali suggested the only way to pay EMS and firefighters would be for the organizations to work together and streamline the collection and distribution of the tax money.

When asked if there was anything he wanted taxpayers in the town of Monroe to know as the Town board considers opting into the program, Tankasali said, “Volunteer personnel are putting in a tremendous [number] of hours both into training and responding to calls and doing that on a volunteer basis. There’s a national trend in the decline of volunteers for these services. Unless we provide incentives like this to bolster the membership, we won’t have a choice but to go paid, which would be cost prohibitive.”