Hempstead Town Calling on Guv to Extend Tax Payment Deadline

With a major snowstorm about to slam the East Coast tonight into tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 10 (the deadline for payment of the first half of 2010 general taxes), Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray and Receiver of Taxes Don Clavin are calling upon New York State Governor David Paterson to declare a snow "state of emergency" and sign an executive order extending the payment deadline by one week, until Feb. 17.

Substantial accumulations and blizzard-like winds will make for messy roadways and unsafe driving conditions, especially for seniors attempting to pay their taxes in person at the Town's Receiver of Taxes office in Hempstead or anyone heading to their local post office.

"We do not want taxpayers getting into car accidents or hurting themselves by racing through blizzard conditions to pay their property taxes before the Feb. 10 deadline. By extending the deadline, the governor can save lives and help taxpayers at the same time," Supervisor Murray said.

Murray and Clavin sent a letter to the governor earlier today, stating that a seven-day extension until local roads are safe for travel will save residents from being unfairly penalized with late fees due to weather conditions beyond their control.

Payments are due by the end of business tomorrow at 4:45 p.m. Residents face a two percent penalty if late on payment. Come March 1, that penalty increases to three percent. 

In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, then-governor George Pataki approved a 90-day extension for taxpayers mourning the loss of loved ones and who found themselves out of a job, Clavin noted.

"We're looking for a week," he said. "We don't think that's an awfully long amount of time. Why would you want to put thousands of taxpayers in danger tomorrow? The common sense idea is to help people and give them an extension to pay their taxes, keep them off the roads so the Town and other municipalities can clear the roads and make it safer."

Hempstead Town officials are in contact with the governor's office to convey the urgency of their request. "There's not a lot of time for the governor to pull the trigger so to speak but we're hoping that he takes the initiative for the well-being of our residents," Murray said. 

Taxes for the townships of Oyster Bay and North Hempstead are also due tomorrow. According to Murray, her office intends on reaching out to Oyster Bay's and North Hempstead's receivers today. "We will absolutely be calling those townships," she said.

Hempstead Town's Receiver of Taxes office, located at 200 N. Franklin St. in Hempstead (538-1500), is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

"Thousands of taxpayers love to wait until the very last moment to turn over their money, and I can understand that. That's what we expect to see today and that's what we anticipate tomorrow," Clavin said. "An extra seven days isn't really going to hurt the government but it's going to help the people."

Officials are awaiting a response from the governor's office and will post information on the town's official Web site.