Village of Albion asked to approve tax exemptions for vets
ALBION – The Albion Village Board has been asked to approve two tax exemptions for veterans that would reduce property taxes for veterans.
If the exemptions were passed by the Village Board, other residents would see their taxes increase by 30 cents per $1,000 of assessed property, or $18 for a house assessed at $60,000.
Earl Schmidt, director of the Veterans Service Agency in Orleans County, presented the data to the Village Board on Wednesday. Schmidt said all other villages and towns in the county provide tax exemptions for veterans. The Village of Albion is the only one that doesn’t Schmidt said.
He asked that the village pass a veterans’ exemption that would provide about 15 percent off village taxes. Schmidt said there are 179 veterans in the village that would be eligible for the exemption.
He also asked that the village pass an exemption for Cold War era veterans that provides about 10 percent off taxes. There are 13 veterans in the village that would be eligible for that benefit.
With both exemptions, municipalities have the option of deciding maximum exemption levels so the amount of the exemptions can vary.
Schmidt said the exemptions are a way of showing appreciation to veterans for their service and also could be used in marketing the community to attract more veterans as residents.
The village’s $17.76 tax rate is currently the highest in the county. Approving the exemptions would add another 30 cents to the tax rate.
Schmidt said another 30 cents for a $60,000 house is $18. “That’s the price of a large pizza,” he said.
The Village Board didn’t comment publicly on the request.
