Volunteer firefighters in New Hyde Park will see a slight change in their tax exemption.
In accordance with state guidelines, the village altered its tax credit policy for its volunteer firefighters during its Thursday, June 19, board meeting. Instead of a $500 tax property credit, firefighters will receive a credit worth 10% of their assessed home value.
“The way we’ve been giving the exemptions out to the volunteer fireman is basically a $500 tax credit. We’ve been informed that that is not the proper way to do it,” Mayor Christopher Devane said. “It’s to be done based on the assessed value of their property. We’re allowed to provide the exemption anywhere from 1% to 10%. The board has unanimously agreed to do 10% of the assessed valuation.”
Devane said that this change likely won’t alter the amount most firefighters are receiving as a tax credit, but this change ensures the village is complying with state law and requests from the New York State Tax Department.
The village also passed a law mandating residents inform the village in writing, either through mail or in person, about potentially dangerous issues, like a crack in a sidewalk, that need repairs. The village’s Board of Trustees said this was due to liability concerns and would ensure the village had a paper trail of necessary repairs in order to notify the necessary people so they could be fixed.
Neighboring villages have passed similar laws in recent weeks.
The village also used their Thursday meeting to welcome the Nassau County Police Department in to provide an informational warning to residents on scams, which officers said were increasing in frequency in the area.
“Right now, the biggest problem we have, not only in this precinct, but county-wide, is scams,” said one of the officers who came to speak at the meeting. “These scams are the biggest transfer of wealth from out of our country.
“It’s absolutely horrible when we think about the amount of money and life savings stolen out of people’s accounts, and it just doesn’t need to happen,” he continued. “If we’re all educated and aware, it will definitely help.”
The officers said many scams start with someone being contacted over the phone or via a laptop. Five warning signs people should look out for as red flags include unsolicited contact from a number you don’t recognize, a demand for immediate action, requests for personal information or payment in an unusual form, like gift cards or cryptocurrency, or an offer that seems too good to be true, like a notification of winning the lottery or a job offer with an abnormally high salary.
The officers warned residents that even if the person contacting them says they are a family member or a friend, they should always reach out to that person through the number or email they typically use to contact that person.
Currently, one common scam involves a pop-up on a person’s computer saying that the device has a virus and that in order to fix it, they need to call an 800 number. The officers told residents they should not under any circumstances call that number.
Elderly residents are most frequently the targets, the police department said. They emphasized that if someone believes they are being scammed, they should immediately contact the police or call 911.
Deputy Mayor Madhvi Nijjar then used Thursday’s meeting to remind residents that village taxes were due on July 1.
“Our tax bills are already out, and they’re due by July 1,” Nijjar said. “I want to emphasize that we here at the office do not have the authority or the liberty to waive or cancel any late fees. We cannot take away penalties. If you are somehow late in paying taxes, you cannot come here and grieve them.”
She said the village did not have the authority to remove any penalties and that anyone who received a late fee they wanted to contest would need to contact the state.
