CORINTH, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Many of New York’s volunteer fire departments are dealing with shortages. Could giving a tax break encourage more people to join? The Corinth Central School District proposed the incentive at a public hearing Tuesday night.
Changes to New York State law allowed volunteer firefighters to get a tax break on the residential property they own in the community where they serve and live. “That tax exemption is 10% of their assessed value, for anybody that’s been certified and been doing it for at least two years,” said Corinth Central School District Business Administrator Michael Varney.
No one spoke out at the public hearing on the proposed tax exemption for volunteer fire fighters and ambulance workers so the school board will now vote at their next board meeting.
Former Capital Region Fire Chief Art Hunsinger said the process to get the exemption isn’t easy. “We went through a couple of hurdles but in the end everybody who is a volunteer firefighter in this area gets a 10% discount off their property taxes,” said former Fire Chief Arthur Hunsinger.
But when completed, Hunsinger said the tax break can help add to depleted volunteer ranks, “One little piece of an incentive to help us with recruitment to say thank you for doing this job that others are not doing right now.”
Back in 2023 some firefighters in Clifton Park were told the discount did not apply because of where they lived versus where they served. However, Clifton Park Town Supervisor Phil Barret said they were able to get all of the volunteer firefighters covered, “Our situation brought attention to the gap in the legislation. The legislation was changed to allow us to legally include the firefighters that were in this position.”
Hunsinger said it will help those who own their own property, but he hopes to do more for the firefighters who rent, “So the downside to this is for somebody who lives in an apartment, is not getting this benefit.” Hunsinger went on to explain, “There are other benefits that we are still working with the state to say that we can give to those guys.”
The next school board meeting to approve the proposed tax break is November 10th.
