[Adopted 7-2-2008 by L.L. No. 2-2008]
The purpose of this article is to provide a real property tax exemption to Cold War veterans residing in the Town of New Windsor under enabling legislation of the New York State Real Property Tax Law, § 458-b, as amended.
A. 
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ACTIVE DUTY
Full-time duty in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard.
COLD WAR VETERAN
A person who served on active duty in the United States Armed Forces, other than active duty for training.
B. 
The period of the Cold War is from September 2, 1945 to December 26, 1991.
A. 
The property must be owned by a Cold War veteran, the spouse of a Cold War veteran or the unremarried surviving spouse of a deceased Cold War veteran. Where property is owned by more than one qualified owner, the exemption to which each is entitled may be combined.
B. 
The property must be the primary residence of the Cold War veteran or the unremarried surviving spouse of a Cold War veteran. Only the residential portion of a property is eligible for this exemption.
C. 
The veteran must have been discharged or released under honorable conditions. The veteran must file an application with the Assessor's Office and include a copy of his or her DD-214, which documents his or her service in the armed forces. The veteran needs to file once; there is no annual renewal application.
A. 
Qualifying real property shall be exempt from taxation to the extent provided for in Real Property Tax Law (RPTL) § 458-b, subsection 2(a)(ii): fifteen percent of the assessed value of such property; provided, however, such exemption shall not exceed $9,000 or the product of $9,000 multiplied by the latest state equalization rate, whichever is less.
B. 
In addition to the exemption provided by RPTL § 458-b, subsection 2(a)(ii), as described above, where the Cold War veteran received a compensation rating from the United States veterans' Affairs or from the United States Department of Defense because of a service-connected disability, qualifying residential real property shall be exempt from taxation to the extent of the product of the assessed value of such property, multiplied by 50% of the Cold War veteran disability rating; provided, however, that such exemption shall not exceed $30,000, or the product of $30,000 multiplied by the latest state equalization rate, whichever is less.
C. 
Pursuant to RPTL § 458-b, as amended, the exemption provided by Subsection A above shall be granted to qualifying owners of qualifying real property for as long as they remain qualifying owners.
[Amended 2-7-2018 by L.L. No. 2-2018]
D. 
If a Cold War veteran receives the existing eligible funds veterans exemption or the alternative veterans exemption (RPTL §§ 458 and 458-a, respectively) he or she cannot also receive the Cold War veterans exemption.