CARMEL – Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne signed a new law that provides a 10 percent property tax exemption for volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance workers. The new law, passed by the Putnam County Legislature earlier this month, was advocated for by County Executive Byrne after enabling legislation first passed the New York State Legislature in 2022 with then-Assemblyman Byrne’s support.
The event was held at the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services with several local volunteer fire and EMS personnel in attendance.
“I am proud to officially sign this important legislation into law, providing real results and financial relief for our hard-working volunteer first responders,” said County Executive Byrne. “This is government at its best; supporting and giving back to those who do the selfless work of protecting their communities and neighbors. I thank all those volunteer first responders who attended yesterday’s event, as well as the
county legislators who voted unanimously to pass this law.”
This change to tax law was made possible after Governor Hochul signed into law A10155A, which was co-sponsored by then-Assemblymen Kevin Byrne and Michael Lawler, Putnam County’s current U.S.
Congressman. The legislation standardizes and simplifies the existing tax breaks, which allowed Putnam County to offer the tax exemption.
“Credit to my colleagues in the legislature for moving on this quickly so we could ensure volunteers have an opportunity to receive this tax exemption this year,” said Putnam County Legislature Chairman Paul Jonke. “This exemption recognizes our volunteers and recognizes how dependent we are on our volunteers. We rely on them to keep us safe and with this simple recognition, it’s a token of our thanks.”
In order to qualify for the tax exemption, individuals must demonstrate 5 years of service and provide a certificate from their organization that they are an eligible enrolled member.
