The Port TIMES RECORD Port Jefferson • Belle terre • Port Jefferson station • terrYVille
Volume 28, No. 15
March 12, 2015
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Fire and ice Historic firehouses exhibit at the PJVC Also: Festival of One Act Plays at Theatre Three, ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ at the SCPA
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Photo by Andrew Tetreault/PJFD
Port Jefferson Fire Department recently conducted drills with the goal of refining members’ skills in rescuing people trapped in ice, according to department Chief Dave Williams. The PJFD took advantage of the fact that the bitter winter weather had iced up local waterways, placing personnel on that ice — under controlled conditions — to practice. Fortunately, Williams said, the firefighters have not had to use their ice rescue knowledge this year.
Officials go after illegal STAR exemptions BY erika karP
Switching greens
Town supervisor goes from fiscal focus to greenhouse gas goals
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Photo by erika Karp
Brookhaven’s tax assessor Jim ryan speaks about fraudulent star exemptions at a press conference on March 10, as Deputy town attorney Dave Moran looks on.
Town of Brookhaven officials announced on Tuesday that they are taking down property owners who are receiving illegal tax exemptions. At the forefront of the issue are School Tax Relief, or STAR, exemptions. The popular state program’s standard level, known as Basic STAR, is available to residents who have a household income of $500,000 or less. The home must be owner-occupied in order to qualify. However, according to Brookhaven officials, there are dozens of — if not more than 100 — homes in the town that receive the exemption even though the owners rent them out. “We are going to send a very strong message because everyone else who is entitled is paying their fair share,” Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said at the press conference on Tuesday.
In May 2014, the town enacted a law that requires all entities, including banks, to notify the Brookhaven tax assessor after it takes over ownership of a property and is therefore no longer eligible for a tax exemption the previous owner received. If the entities don’t comply within 30 days of taking ownership, they could be fined up to $5,000. Shortly after Brookhaven passed the law, New York State Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) introduced legislation that would require banks and financial institutions to notify local tax assessors about acquired properties if the previous owners qualified for a STAR exemption. The state administers funding to offset the exemptions. LaValle’s legislation, which is supported by Assemblyman Fred Thiele (D-Sag Harbor) in the state Assembly and has yet to go to a vote, does not address STAR continued on page A8