Cicero increases tax exemptions for volunteers

By dAVid tyLEr

To help with recruitment for local volunteer fire departments and volunteer ambulance corps, the town of Cicero, like a lot of local municipalities, is adopting new property tax exemptions for local volunteers.

Recently, the State of New York expanded the property tax exemptions for volunteers.

Previously, the tax exemption required five years of volunteer service and reduced the property tax by exempting 10 percent of the assessed value up to $3,000.

The new parameters decrease the length of service required for eligibility from five years to two years and eliminates the $3,000 maximum assessed value that would be ex- empt from property taxes.

The resolution also calls for a lifetime exemption for volunteers with at least 20 years of service, as long as they maintain their primary residence in the town.

Un-remarried surviving spouses of eligible volunteers who have passed away will be able to retain those exemptions.

Former Cicero Supervisor Chet Dudzinski, who serves with the South Bay Volunteer Fire Department, said the exemptions are important as a recruiting tool at a time when voluntarism is on the decline.

“We need help in the fire service. It’s not just South Bay, it’s every service in New York State. The days of volunteering are over,” Dudzinski said. “Anything you can do to help us, this is to help you and

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every resident of the town of Cicero.”

The board cited a 2015 report from the Firefighters Association of the State of New York that indicated that if local fire departments were forced to go to a fully paid staff because of a lack of volunteers, the average property tax impact to residents would be an increase of 26 percent.

“This is a no brainer,” said Councilor Mike Becallo. “Anything we can to help retain or try to gain more volunteers for our fire departments is a good thing.”

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