Lynbrook BOE approves tax break for veterans

The Lynbrook Board of Education approved a veterans’ tax exemption last week, putting an end to a lengthy and sometimes heated yearlong dispute between local veterans and school officials.

The exemption reduces the assessed value of veterans’ homes, thereby reducing their school taxes. With the new measure, the average non-veteran homeowner’s school taxes will increase by $43.50 per year to compensate for the veterans’ exemption. “Every veteran in this room has written a check to the United States government, up to and including their lives,” former American Legion Commander Shelly Conn said before the board took its vote on Nov. 18. “To ask the residents and the Lynbrook district of schools to give up $43.50 a year is tantamount to slapping us in the face if they don’t want to do it.”

In the past, veterans living in New York were eligible for state, county, town and village tax exemptions, but in December 2013 the State Legislature passed a law giving school boards the option to exempt them from some school taxes as well. Last year the board voted not to do so, creating a firestorm of angry comments, mainly from veterans themselves, culminating when former VFW Commander Pat Cardone publicly uninvited school board trustees and District 20 administrators from marching in the Memorial Day parade. In response, the board threatened to disallow students from participating in the event as well.

According to the 2015-16 tax roll, there are a total of 406 eligible veterans who live in the district. They must apply for the exemption, so those who do not wish or need to lighten their financial burden need not apply. Additionally, in the event that a veteran homeowner dies, his or her spouse will retain the exemption.

Five of the seven trustees voted yes: Vice President Ellen Marcus, Secretary Heather Hanson, Lesli Deninno, Robert Paskoff and David Yaker. Trustee Alicemarie Bresnihan was absent.

Deninno expressed gratitude to veterans for their service, but said she didn’t like the way the legislation was written because veterans’ salaries are not a factor in determining the exemption rate. “I do think they deserve it, but maybe there should be some sort of slide or some scale,” she said.