Local Government Updates

Legislation (S.3576) passed by the Senate will help make it easier for property owners to claim STAR benefits if they missed the March 1 filing deadlines. This is particularly important to senior citizens who must remember to file for the enhanced STAR exemption each year. Missing the deadline and, therefore, the exemption could result in a homeowner facing an unexpected and significantly increased tax bill. This bill instead authorizes municipalities to accept STAR applications after the locality’s taxable status date and before January 10 of the following year.

A bill (S.1824) introduced by Senator Jack M. Martins that clarifies and amends the Citizen’s Empowerment Act has passed the Senate today.

In 2009, Governor David Paterson signed into law a measure that would allow people to dissolve local governments. The legislation was lobbied for by then-Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

However, there were several problems with the law. For one, residents of a municipality would be voting via a referendum on whether to dissolve that municipality, whether it be a village or special district, without knowing what the alternative plan would be to provide services for those residents.

Village of Westbury Mayor Peter Cavallaro, State Senator Jack M. Martins, the chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Local Government, and State Senator Charles Fuschillo, the chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Transportation, met yesterday with Long Island Railroad President Helena Williams and representatives from the New York State Department of Transportation to address the Ellison Avenue Bridge in Westbury, which is badly in need of renovation and rehabilitation.