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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1985-01-08 TOWN -0 ' ; GROTON TOWN BOARD Tuesday , January 8 , 1985 PUBLIC HEARING II B� 3 ( *present ) OTHERS PRESENTi *T . Robinson , Supervisor Phil Shurtleff , County Representative *R . Sovocaol Oollaen Pier6on , Town Clerk :. , ' VanBenschoten Jack Fitzgerald , Toxm Attorney *D . Cummings Leland Cornelius , Highway Supervisor ,X . Graham H . B . Marlette Susan Norte Clifford E . Norte p John J . McGraw Richard Mestler David Ofner Theresa Ofner Richard French Grace Ann French Jahn Fachai T Robinson , Supervisor , opened the meeting by reading the Public Notice dated December 17 , 19�4 for the HEARING ON VETERAN ' S EXEMPTION FROM REAL PROPERTY TAXES ; then opened the meeting for comments . ROBINSON : The Board held a Hearing before , as a result the Board voted to opt out of the Exemption at this time . This Hearirn I.V is hell before final vote on the Lax . MESTLERi That was for the Village not the Town * ROBINSONs We had a Hearing and the Village had one . McGRAWi If no exemption , the tax exemption will go through? ROBINSON % No , the original Hearing was to find out from the people how they felt . about it . The second Hearing is now . We are having this for the Law we gent to adopt on opting out of the exemption for now . We can go back in and have an exemption any time we grant in the future . It goes for ten years from the time enacted . Once you are into it you cannot get out . We did not feel we had the information at thie time to get O ERA What information seems to be missing to the geopoe making the decision' ROBI180Al : How many people will it affect ; hoar many people* will apply and finally , what effect it will have on the community . OFNEEa What steps have been taken to get this information? ROBiNSONt There is more and more coming out all the time but we have not had much information coming in . TOWN BOARD PUBLIC HEARING - 2- January 8 , 1985 OFNER : Any positive action taken by the Board to collect the infor- k oration? ROBINSON : We have had some but not a lot . OFNER : Have you done any surveying process ? ROBINSON : I have made inquiries into different places .* you get numbers from but over all it is too quick to , too fast , and too . much of a shuffle now ; that - is why we decided to wait . OFNER : How long do you think it will take to get the information ? ROBINSON : I think we ' re going to go to meeting in February in New York and I think then we will find out a lot of information about the State and how it is taken all over . When we get in New York we will all be together and all talk it out and find out how most the people doing ; how it is working out in other communities ; what the drawbacks are . OFNER : Do you have an estimate of how much tax lost there will be for the Town if you accept it and enact it in the Town ? ROBINSON : Not an accurate one , no . There is a lot of potentials . There are vets that can apply , you don ' t know if they will or not ; some will and some won ' t . Right now we ' re not sure how it will come out . OFNERs Any consideration made to the people who risked their lives looked into the barrel of a machine gun pointed at them . How many people on the Board been in combat ? ROBINSON : Two . OFNER : You are making decision for these men who risked their lives away from home ; you sit here talking about money . ROBINSON : I don ' t think that is a fair statement . OFNER : All you talk about is . money . i ROBINSON : The qualifications are not fair to all vets . It does not apply to vets who rent ; it does not apply to vets who have no property at all . I OFNER : He may be getting something else but he would not get this , I agree . You deny to those who have advantage for those who don ' t . ROBINSON : We are opting out right now . OFNER : Can you set a schedulelto be posted as to how it will affect the community?' There has been one hearing before with apparently most people against it . TOWN - BOARD PUBLIC HEARING -3 - January 8 , 1985 I ROBINSON : The other Hearing had more people for it than against it . McGRAW3 I have some figures here from the Veterans Council of Central New York ; Greg Wheeler in Auburn and Harry DeLibero of the Tompkins County Veteran ' s Administration . He is in Albany right now . I would like to read this to you . " I speak in favor of the maximum expemption posed under this legislation . No one denies veterans deserve benefits . Most who object to this legislation object to it because it does shift the tax burden somewhat . " We agree that is right . The State made the Law and dumped it on the municipalities . " We contend that the cost will be minimal and certainly nowhere near the figures that have been presented indicating the Town of Groton will lose in excess of $6 million in accessed value . The best estimates available from our county service officer indicate that a maximum of 300 veterans would be eligible for this exemption in the Town of Groton including the Village . " That means if they apply , those who apply would be deducted from that 300 figure . " The maximum reduction of assessed value if the town board allows the $80 , 000 maximum limitation would be a loss of less than $ 3 million in assessed value . Let me emphasize these aremaximum figures and they are based on the county service officer ' s contact over the past 5 years with 3 , 000 veterans per year in Tompkins County . No one can provide more accurate figures . The actual revenue loss if every qualified veteran applied and the Town offered the maximum exemption would be less than $ 16 , 000 . Once again the $ 16 , 000 is a maximum figure . At a minimum veterans who served during a war period gave up two years of their lives . At a maximum they gave up their lives . For this board to deny 300 veterans and their spouses an average of less than $ 55 . 00 apiece is object- ionable to everyone who served . $S5 . 00 is 15t per day . For those veterans who are disabled in war it is not too much to ask . For those widows who lost their husbands 150 a day is not too much to ask . The argument that this $ 55 per household break to eligible households is unfair to non-veteran tax payers I submit the remark is obsurd considering what we suffered . To those who say that the property tax is unfair way of thanking veterans , let me say there is no fair way . How can you compensate the widow for her lost husband or a veteran for his missing sight fairly? This law is merely a gesture . To those who say that this law is unfair to non property owning veterans , let me say that not one single veteran I know who does not own property has contacted me or our service officer stating he or she objects . " TOWN BOARD PUBLIC HEARING -4- January 8 , 1985 Not one has objected to the law to eligible veterans . " To those veterans who may stand up this evening and say you should not allow the exemption , let me say they do not have to accept it . For those veterans who could not walk in here tonight because they are disabled I suggest we let them make the decision whether they wish to take advantage of this law . This is not a new law . Prior to 1979 many veterans had an exemption that was greater than the one being imposed . Since full value assessment that exemption was effectively eliminated due to raising the assessed valuation and not raising the veteran ' s exemption corroborately . We had it and the assessment procedure took it away from us . In summary the impact will be minimal . The benefit is by no definition unfair to anyone . This law is essentially a recovery of a benefit we had previously . Perhaps the benefit should be offered by the Federal Government but the Federal Government is eliminating benefits now and that is avoiding the issue . " When he says the Federal Government is cutting out benefits , there are three prisoners of war in Groton that have been denied benefits . Now the local government is refusing them benefits . "Perhaps the state did dump it into the laps of the local governments . But the local governments were the ones who reduced the benefit to almost nothing over these years . Finally , there is a compelling argument that Vietnam veterans never had the opportunity to take advantage of this benefit . By denying them tonight you will continue this legacy of treating Vietnam veterans poorly and unfairly . I urge you to allow this exemption and make this small gesture to all those who have served . Please let everyone in the state know that the Town of Groton is thankful for the service its veterans offered . " MARLETTs I don ' t really have much more to say than last time , which are in the minutes . The biggest thing I said the last time was that we were given an exemption after World War II and that exemption today is nothing . In other words the taxes have gone skyhigh and the exemption never has been adjusted . I did find out that when we went 100 per cent there was a Law I did not know about that we could have complained and gotten our exemption raised . I thought one reason for this coming up was to give back something they had taken away from the guys and given it to all the veterans , the Vietnam veterans too . You have in the minutes what I said last time . I have no more to say . I really think if you follow what Tompkins County did it would be better than what you are talking about . Mr . Shurtleff was there he knows what they did . Co NORTE : I think we all agree the vets are owed our appreciation . I TOWN BOARD PUBLIC HEARING -5- January 8 , 1985 think this country is becoming a country interested in l special interest groups . Though this is a noble idea there comes a point when those who don ' t fall into a special interest group have to pay for this . I think property taxes are a situation that are unfair with the set up already . This will further confuse the situation . New York State is losing populaton and losing business whether the money is going to welfare or other government programs . Any time we have government programs come up with figures small portion this all adds up . I think a lot of people used to be middle class now in lower class working people . Its really becoming a burden for them to help out every time we have a special interest group that think they need special treatment . McGRAW : You call the veterans a special interest group? C . NORTEt Yes , you can become very emotional . Noone denies these people served the country . My point is we cannot allocate monies to every worthy situation that comes along . There has to be a limit on how far dollars will go . McGRAWt I ' m speaking for myself . I put four years in Korea and five in Vietnam . I was totally blind for one year . I gave my eye in Saipan ; leg in Boganville ; bullet in arm in Korea ; I have five Purple Hearts , When I got out of the Army I could not make a living because of my physical problems . I wound up with a Job tending bar . There are plenty more worse off than I am . I took a piece of property that looked like a Junkyard and made it better . C . NORM I am doing the same thing . McGRAW : There are plenty more like in the same boat and same way . Just granting them this will think thats something else . MESTLER : Yesterday evening in the Cortland Standard there was an articl about this very same thing . In the last paragraph of the article was Broome County talked aboat a resolution instead of using property tax assessment useing veteran ' s income tax exemption in it ' s place . The only thing is it only thing you can ' t do it if you do that you can ' t give the exemption to non property owned veterans . I don ' t know how that would work out . ROBINSONr You can ' t give the exemption to . . . . McGRAWa The veteran must own the property . MESTLERi ( reading from the 1 /7/85 Cortland Standard ) ' Broome County system suggested veteran ' s income exemption would be more equitable . The State furnishes no assessment on Municipality failing to opt out of plan provided for veterans who did not own homes and comparable to veterans who were in combat . ' That is confusing , that is where the article stopped . But you don ' t know how much the cost per thousand assessed evaluation to all veterans eligible . TOWN BOARD PUCLIC HEARING -6- January 8 , 1985 ROBINSON : This came down to use and all of a sudden we are suppose to hurry it through . They were up for election so they dumped it on the Towns . We were not prepared for it . We are causious with ; we were trying to opt out until we found out more about it . That is basically what we have done . We have nothing against the veterans . We have veterans on the board . It is the idea , it ' s your money we are taking car of . It has nothing to do with patriotism or the veterans . You can talk to any one of the Board and find out that none of us is against helping the veterans . It is just the way it has happened . We would like to find out more about is before we commit the Town . MESTLER : According to the article the Town can opt out of the exemption but the school district cannot . SHURTLEFF : The school district is not affected . ROBINSON : The only other thing we have heard of when they were talking about this was having it with the New York State income taxes and applying it in that way . MESTLER : Cortland County figured out added cost per thousand assessment alreadyq $3 per thousand . I don ' t know what Tompkins County figures are . ( speaking to P . Shurtleff ) You were there , you have not said anything yet . SHURTLEFF : I said plenty at that meeting . MESTLER : We don ' t know what you said because Tompkins County has not published anything , let anyboyd know what is going on . SHURTLEFF : In the first place , I am on the County Board . It aggravates me that the State Legislature can put through a law and throw it on the municipalities and Counties and villages and towns . Making a goat out of each one . There are two or three ways of looking at it . Al long as I ' m into it I ' ll say mything . I don ' t believe , because I sit on the County Board , that I should not influence the Town Board , All I can do is work with them . At the County level I voted to go with the minimum amountl but the County has a wider tax base . They can stand that better than a village or town can . I would not come over here and talk the Town into doing it either way . I think it was chicken on the part of the State Legislature to put through the law and let the consequences fall, on the local municipalities . At the County level we had the figure of 40 million , 60 million , 90 million income . Cot to the point of 120 million . The Veterans Administrator advised the County it would not bet above 40 thousand . I myself have not taken an exemption . A lot of veterans won ' t . We could not exist 20 minutes in New York State without the Fire Departments . But there is nothing that says it would be political for the State Legislature to grant exemptions to volunteer firemen . I guess anybody on the Board are damned if they do and damned if they don ' t . I voted for the lowest thing the County could give to the veterans but the County has a wider tax base . i TOWN BOARD PUBLIC HEARING -7 - January 8 , 1985 McGRAWt That is why we are talking . We ' re talking a maximum of 300 veterans here . How many of the 300 will utilize the exemption . Your looking at $ 16 , 000 maximum per veteran . $55 . 00 per year ; 150 a day . That up to you . I think I could afford it . There are a lot that can ' t afford it . C . NORTE : There are a lot of people that are not veterans that are livng close to the line . GRAHAM : I have the utmost respect for the veteran . My father is a veteran , I lost a cousin in Vietnam . In bringing up Vietnam area about the first time they had any kind of recognition . I was born at the wrong time . If I . had been called on to fight I certainly would have gone . People in my age bracket were born between wars . While I see that �A is nice to award veterans for all that they did for us , I realize a lot of benefits we have because of them , by the same token it is discrimatory against those who were not of age to go to war . I guess another way to . put it is I did not have the opportunity ' to show my patriotism the way you did . McGRAW : There was not room enough in the army andservices for all the people . Some had to stay home . You fell in age group that we have nothing against you . GRAHAM : Not until you get to these exemptions . i McGRAW : I know how it was , that ' s why I went back into the army in 1947 . I had one eye ; afraid . something would happen with the other eye then I be gone . I went back into the service for six years enlistment just in time to catch Korea . By that time I had ten years in so I stayed . A lot of guys did not do it that way and they are hurting . Everybody is taking a shot at theml cutting their : benefits , reducing money to live on . The medical aid in theihospital has gone to damn near nil . It ' s just terrible . That is treatment they deserve because they got banged up defending the country . OFNER : I like to suggest as good will measure the officials of the Town make some effort to pin down what the impact this will be on the Town in . fairness to everyone . We are talking about the great union . : I think if figures show impact to property on the County it could very well be a fine gesture to the people who allow us to have the freedom we have now . It maybe . . . . . . . on theiothr hand . I think everyone should have some kind of perspective on this . You realy don ' t know what we are dealing with . ROBINSON : That is exactly why we chose this route . We would rather have more information . We are dealing with taxpayers money no matter how much money we are talking about it is your money we are spending and using . We wanted to be on firm- ground without placating somebody . I would rather be honest with someone than give , them a deal that later they could . get a better deal . Maybe we could do better . Its better to find TOWN BOARD PUBLIC HEARING -8- January 8 , 1985 out exactly what your dealing with . I have here a Resolution passed by the County Board concerning veteran ' s exemptions . ' RESOLUTION N0 . 361 - Request for Legislation -veterans exemptions -Real Property Taxest WHEREAS , Chapter 525 of. the Laws of 1984 did amend the New York State Real Property TAx Law and provides for additonal tax exemption to veterans by offering an alternative to Section 458 of that law , and WHEREAS , the compensation of veterans through real property tax exemption is unfair to veterans because it bases the amount on the value of the real estate owned by the veteran rather than need or merit and veterans who rent not only have no benefit but must help pay for the benefits given to fellow veterans , and WHEREAS , said exemptions shift the tax burden to the other residents of the community whether property owners or renters including the poor , elderly , young families and veterans who rent , and WHEREAS , the administration of such a program is an additonal cost to be imposed on said residents , now therefore be it RESOLVED , on recommendation of the Budget and Administration Committee , That the Tompkins County Board of Representatives demands that the New York State Legislature repeal Chapter 525 of the Laws of 1984 , and instead address the inadequate Federal benefits and pro= visions for veterans by providing for credits to New York State Income Tax , preferably based on need and not as a percentage of income , RESOLVED , further , That this Board recognizes and appreciates all veterans , their service and sacrifice , and wishes to honor them , RESOLVED , further , that the Clerk of the Board forward certified copies of this ' resolution to Governor Mario M . Cuomo ; Hon . Stanley Fink , Speaker of the Assembly ; Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly ; Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the New York State Senate ; Senator L . S . Riford , Jr . Assemblyman H . Sam MacNeil ; New York State Association of Counties ; Supervisors ' and County Legislators ' Association of the State of New York ; Mayor John Gutenberger ; mayors of all villages in Tompkins County ; supervisors of all towns in Tompkins County and all counties in the State of New York . ' Dated 18th day of December 1984 , SHURTLEM I think that every municipality of the State in one way or the other is going to ask the State Legislature to repeal this law and add it in some more equitable manner . It basically all the county legislatures , all the municipalities in the State trying to get the State Legislature to repeal that law and do it at the State level instead of doing it through the local municipalities . Small municipalities can barely support their local government ; some municipalites like Westchester , maybe they can afford it . Each municipality is going to have to live with it to the best of their ability . I just hope the State will see what they can do . If they are going to vote through an exemption they should fund it through the State level . Same thing with Social Services of the State , Federal government makes rules the local governments stuck with it . TOWN BOARD PUBLIC HEARING -9- January 8 , 1985 ROBINSON : The County gave the lowest exemption and yet this transcript of Resolution voted on by the Tompkins County Board of Representatives shows that though they gave the exemption they are against it . We ' re just human beings having to come up with a decision . You find some going one way and then another ; it is very confusing . SHURTLEFF : If you stop to look at it . There are two villages right side by side . They both come under that law . One could afford the exemption and the other maybe is struggling to keep its head above water . I lost a brother in the war and I ' m a veteran and I ' m for veterans too ; but far be it from me to tell anybody other than the County Board how to vote . MARTLETT : Where did we get the first exemption we had of $5 , 000 , was that Federal or State ? SHURTLEFF : I don ' t know but when I was a kid in the 30 ' s we had a neighbor who was in World War I and he had a veterans exemption . I think it carried over and World War II picked it up . ( J . Fitzgerald looked law up and it was originally applied to WW I veterans) MARLETT : When I got out of the service I was able to take an exemption at that time . I could have taken more money I did not . I have not gone for the full $ 5 , 000 , At that time my property was worth $ 5 , 000 . Now the property is valued at $29 , 000 ; even the $5 , 000 exemption does not mean anything . Who was suppose to tell the veterans when we went to 100 per cent valuation , nobody told the veterans . SHURTLEFF : Many counties have not gone to 100 per cent assessment . A Supreme Court Judge said that is the law of New York State . Some counter did and some have not . MARLETT : I don ' t know the law but I have heard enough talk at these meetings . SHURTLEFF : When you had local assessors each assessment district , like Town of Groton or Locke or another town , those assessors of a particular municipality looked at the law different than the town down the road . Each town was different . OFNER : One other question , if this Board opts out at this time is that in effect for ten years ? ROBINSON : No , we can go in any time . We can go in next month . We can go in any time . OFNER : It is a postponement more than forever? ROBINSONi It seemed more sane to delay than jump into something we knew nothing about . In the long run we are trying to help . TOWN BOARD PUBLIC HEARING - 10- January 8 , 1985 PACHAI : Has anybody come up with figures as to what type of percentage the non-veterans have to come up with ? ROBINSON : No , we don ' t have exact figures . MARL ETT : Any taxpayer , not ,just the non-veteran . PACHAI : Do you have any estimate at all? ROBINSON : To be perfectly honest , we have not all the figures in . We are not ready to jump into it . C . NORTE : I think it is just further complicating the situation that is already not quite right . . . . The tax system amount of real estate a person amassed as opposed to what type of services a person uses . When whole system is not based on sound basis this further confuses it . The value of a person ' s house has nothing to do with how they served their country . It should have nothing to do with how much tax they pay or be exempted from it . ROBINSON : People have always been upset about taxes and property and always will be . C . NORTE : If this tax money keeps the roads plowed , we all use the roads . PACHAI : I am one of last people to scream about taxes . When taxes go up I understand . I know in advance how much they are going up . In a case like this I have no idea how it affect us . I said this at the Village meeting , it is like handing a blank check to the Board . We don ' t know how much it is going to cost us . We can say no by opting out and at least delay it . ROBINSON : There more information coming in . I feel our meeting we are having in New York will bring out a lot of things we have not even thought about . We can get more information and find out what is going on . PACHAI : I don ' t see how your meeting in New York can justify the situation in Groton . People per capita comparison is out of the question . ROBINSON : This is a meeting of towns some of them smaller than we are . They make a lot of noise . You get an idea of some of the things that are happening . It gives you idea where things are going . McGRAW : Like you say , everyone using the road everyone should pay . My income was established in 1969 . Inflation has gone up but my income has not gone up . There are plenty more in the same boat as I am in . ROBINSON : As I say , I ' m sure if you took each one aisde on theBoard you would find out that none of us is against helping the TOWN BOARD PUBLIC HEARING - 11 - January 8 , 1985 veteran . It is just the idea it was put upon us at this time and we are expect to come up with decision on unknown factors . McGRAWc When are you going to New York ? ROBINSON : The 17th of February . By that time we hsould have more facts from the towns around here as to how many people have applied . People have to apply right along . It does not go into effect until next year . It does not affect school taxes which are the highest taxes you pay . It will only affect your village and town taxes . PIERSON : With the County going with this we are going to , as a Town find out how many people apply to the County and find out how It will affect the Town . McGRAW : DeLibro told me the maximum of 300 eligible here . How may of those will apply you don ' t know? PIERSON : I think only 40 apply for it now in the Town . That is from the Second World War. . ROBINSON : Are there any more comments ? PACHAI : When is your deadline for a decision? ROBINSON : 31st of January . . We have to have a Hearing and have to have a law . We had a hearing in December , this Hearing is for the law . We pass the law that we have opted out . We can go in any time . we want to . Once you said you will do it you can ' t get out for ten years . ' PACHAI : You have opted out? ROBINSON : Yes , that is what this hearing is about . Are there any other questions , answers or remarks? If not we will declare the Hearing closed . Thank you for coming . I , MARGARET A . PALMER , DO CERTIFY that at the Public Hearing for the proposed law on Veteran ' s Exemption from Real Property Taxes held in the Town of Groton , County of Tompkins , State of New York on Tuesday , January 8 , 1985 I did take the minutes of said Hearing and the foregoing is a true and exact copy , to the best of my ability . ! AN c JIP1313111tvn �11D. JJ,/— REQUEST FOR LEGISLATION - VETERANS EXEMPTION - REAL PROPERTY TAXES Offered by Mrs . Livesay , seconded by Mr . Culligan . WHEREAS , Chapter 525 of the Laws of 1984 did amend the New York State Real ! Property Tax Law and provides for additional tax exemption to veterans by offering an alternative to Section 458 of that law , and WHEREAS , the compensation of veterans through real property tax exemption Iis unfair to veterans because it bases the amount on the value of the real estate owned by the veteran rather than need or merit and veterans who rent not only have no benefit but must help pay for the benefits given to fellow veterans , as WHEREAS , said exemptions shift the tax burden to the other residents of the community whether property owners or renters including the poor , elderly , young families and veterans who rent , and WHEREAS , the administration of such a program is an additional cost to be imposed on said residents , now therefore be it RESOLVED , on recommendation of the Budget and Administration Committee , That the Tompkins County Board of Representatives demands that the New York State Legislature repeal Chapter 525 of the Laws of 1984 , and instead address the inadequate Federal benefits and provisions for veterans by providing for credits to New York State Income Tax , preferably based on need and not as a percentage of income , RESOLVED , further , That this Board recognizes and appreciates all veterans , their service and sacrifice , and wishes to honor them , RESOLVED , further , That the Clerk of the Board forward certified copies of this resolution to Governor Mario M . Cuomo ; Hon . Stanley Fink , Speaker of the Assembly ; Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly ; Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the New York State Senate ; Senator L . S . Riford , Jr . ; Assemblyman H . Sam MacNeil ; New York State Association of Counties ; Supervisors ' and County Legislators ' Association of the State of New York ; Mayor John Cutenberger ; mayors of all villages in Tompkins County ; supervisors of all towns in Tompkins County and all counties in the State of New York . cc . County Attorney County Administrator i STATE OF NEW YORK ) TAX EXEMPTION My name is I am speaking tonight on behalf of veterans of the American Legion who are residents of the Town of Groton and veterans affected by the Real Property Tax Exemption . I was assisted with this presentation by Harry T . De Libero - -Counselor of the N . Y . S . Division of veterans Affairs and also Tompkins County Veterans Service Officer . I speak in favor of the maximum exemption posed under this legislation . No one denies veterans deserve benefits . Most who object to this legislation object to it because it does shift the tax burden somewhat . We contend that the cost will be minimal and certainly nowhere near the figures that have been presented indicating the Town of Groton will lose in excess of $ 6 million in accessed value . The beat estimates available from our county service officer indicate that a maximum of 300 veterans would be eligible for thin exemption in the Town of Groton including the village . The maximum reduction of assessed value if the town board allows the $ 80 , 000 maximum limitation would be a loss of less than $ 3 million in assessed value . Let me emphasize these are maximum figures and they are based on the county service officer ' s contact over the past 5 years with 3 , 000 veterans per year in Tompkins County . No one can provide more accurate figures . The actual revenue loss if every qualified veteran applied and the Town offered the maximum exemption would be less than $ 16 , 000 . Once again the $ 16 , 000 is a maximum figure . At a minimum veterans who served during a war period gave up two years of their lives . At a maximum they gave up their lives . For this board to deny 300 veterans and their spouses an average of leas than $55 . 00 a,.piece is objectionable to everyone who served . $55 . 00 is 150 per day . For those veterans who are disabled in war it is not too much to ask . For those widows who lost their husbands 15e, a day is not to much too ask . - 2 - The argument that this $ 55 per houshold breaIrAa air to non -veteran `` 07 a v4te tax payers I submit the remark is * surd considering what we suffered . To ray that the property tax is unfair way of thanking veterans , let me say there is no fair way. beiniffe . can you compensate the widow for her lost husband or as veteran for his missing +sight fairly This law is merely a To �s�ay that this law is unfair to non property- awning veterans , let me say that not one single veteran I know who does not own property has contacted me or our service officer stating he or she objects . To thoi� e veterans who may stand up this evening and say you should not allow the exemption , let me say they do not have to accept it . For those veterans hol who could walk in here tonight because they are disabled I suggest we let them make the decision whether they wish to take advantage of this law . This is not a new law . Prior to 1979 many veterans had an exemption that was greater than the one being imposed . Since full value assessment that exemption was effectively eliminated due to raising the assessed valuation and not raising the I veteran ' s exemption corroborately . We had it and the assessment procedure took it away from us . In summary theimpact will be minimal . The benefit is by no definition unfair to anyone . This law is essentially a recovery of a benefit we had previously . Perhaps the benefit should be offered by the Federal Government but the Federal government is eliminating benefits now and that is avoiding the issue . Perhaps the state did dump it into the laps of the local governments . But the local governments were the ones who reduced the benefit to almost nothing over these years . Finally , � Sa compelling argument that Vietnam veterans never had the opportunity to take advantage of this benefit . By dening theca tonight you will continue this legacy of treating Vietnam veterans poorly JA/0 U (V fs4 ► KII( , I urge you to allow this exemption and make this small guesture to all those who have served . Please let everyone in the State know that the Town of Groton is thankful for the service its .-veterans offered .