Onondaga County Legislature allows property-tax exemption for permanently disabled veterans – WRVO Public Media

Onondaga County Legislature allows property-tax exemption for permanently disabled veterans  WRVO Public Media

The Onondaga County Legislature approved a full property tax exemption for permanently disabled veterans, urging local school districts to follow suit. The Onondaga County Legislature has approved a local law providing a property-tax exemption for the primary home of eligible permanently and totally disabled veterans. The measure allows a full exemption from property taxes and certain related charges for eligible veterans with permanent and total, service-connected disabilities, according to legislative documents. Legislator David Knapp, who sponsored the measure, said it only applies to a specific group of veterans. "This isn't for folks that twisted their ankle in the military, or whatever; this is for folks that are seriously disabled," Knapp said while describing the bill.

The legislature finds that disabled veterans with permanent and total, service-connected disabilities "often face substantial and continued economic, medical, and housing burdens resulting from their service-connected disabilities." "This Legislature finds that providing an exemption from County real property taxes, special district charges, assessments, and a special ad valorem levies for the primary residence of such veterans is in the public interest and serves a public purpose by assisting those veterans to remain in their homes," the resolution reads. "When you add up the various exemptions for these individuals, they're getting about 75 percent now. This would just give that other 25 percent to make it