The Great Neck Board of Education approved an updated partial tax exemption for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers Wednesday night, which will enhance the benefits of volunteers.
The board approved the updated tax exemption amid changes to legislation that bolster the tax exemption rights of the individuals.
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance John O’Keefe said the school district already had enacted a similar partial exemption in 2005 for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers. This exemption was implemented in July 2006.
But O’Keefe said recent changes in legislation have prompted the board to reconsider the exemption because of enhancements.
One category of the new legislation is a partial exemption on real property taxes. O’Keefe said that volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers previously needed five years of service under their belts before being granted the exemption, but that has been reduced to two years.
The next is a partial exemption for the remainder of the individual’s life after a minimum of 20 years of service.
The last two changes to the exemption concern the spouses of deceased volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers who do not remarry, with different parameters depending on the nature of death. They are referred to as un-remarried spouses.
Un-remarried spouses of a volunteer killed in the line of duty are entitled to a tax exemption, so long as the volunteer spouse served five years in the community, as well as un-remarried spouses of a deceased volunteer who served a minimum of 20 years.
The board also adopted a slew of resolutions Wednesday night, including adding a new advanced-level graphic design course for high school students, the 2024-2025 school district calendar and a change to the annual district meeting – or budget adoption vote – time to ​​6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The board adopted two policies Wednesday night, starting with its newly revised school safety policy. This policy updates protocols for responding to declared New York State disaster emergencies involving a communicable disease.
The policy includes a new section describing the district’s current emergency procedures or fire, evacuation and safety drills, and an annual review of building and district plans.
The second policy adopted was twofold, updating the internal audit function and audit committee policy for the district.
The board also adopted a revised policy that informs board policy procedures, which is diminishing the number of readings of future board policies to be voted on from three to two. Nonsubstantive policy changes only require one reading.
The Great Neck Board of Education will convene again on Jan. 16.
