A small group of residents attended a public hearing Tuesday in the town of Frankfort to witness passage of a local law on tax exemption for military veterans.
But this law signified much more than a tax break. It served as long-overdue recognition of a forgotten group of men and women that served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Town board members voted to approve a limited tax exemption to veterans of the Cold War, defined as Sept. 2, 1945, to Dec. 26, 1991.
Following the vote, the seven men applauded in appreciation.
The Frankfort law allows eligible residents exemption from town taxes up to 10 percent of the assessed value of their home, or up to $8,000 in equalized value. Those with disability claims can receive up to 50 percent of the assessed value of their home, not to exceed $40,000.
The exemption becomes effective on the 2010 final assessment roll, officials said.
While the money saved could provide much-needed relief in these difficult economic times, some of the men spoke to the law’s impact beyond just dollars and cents.
“It’s about more than the money,” said John Tucker, of Frankfort, “it’s about making sure the veterans feel like real veterans.”
Several of the men joined Tucker in describing year’s of being kept from joining groups or being ineligible for certain benefits because they had served in the military during a time not officially classified as a period of war.
It takes a program like the Cold War tax exemption, they said, to start changing people’s attitudes. But like most changes in public perception it is catching on slowly, and many of those that benefit are simply unaware.
The town of Frankfort became just the fourth municipality in Herkimer County, joining the city of Little Falls, village of Ilion and town of Schuyler, to adopt some form of the Cold War exemption.
The city of Little Falls passed a resolution on Nov. 17, 2007, becoming the first municipality in the county to adopt the Cold War exemption, according to Joy Presta, city assessor. For 2009, 10 veterans are currently receiving the exemption at a total equalized value of $66,119, she added.
The county also offers the program, with 75 residents receiving exemptions from county taxes with a total value of $612,004, after multiplying by the latest state equalization rate, according to Mary Ann Barbuto, county Real Property Tax Service Agency director.
There are still Cold War veterans who have no knowledge of the program, however.
See the whole story in Friday's edition of The Evening Telegram.
