Up To 65% Off Property Taxes? Huntington Residents Invited To Weigh In

HUNTINGTON, NY — Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth and the Huntington Town Board will hold a stand-alone public hearing next week to consider offering four real property tax exemptions made possible through recent amendments to New York State law.

The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 9 a.m. and will focus on whether the Town of Huntington will opt into new provisions of the state’s Real Property Tax Law that allow municipalities to provide targeted tax relief to specific qualifying groups.

Under the proposed changes, Huntington residents who could benefit include low-income senior citizens, surviving spouses of firefighters or ambulance workers killed in the line of duty, surviving spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty, and active-duty military members stationed in designated combat zones.

Town officials said Huntington already participates in the senior citizens property tax exemption program for residents age 65 and older. The amendment under consideration would increase the maximum allowable exemption from 50 percent to 65 percent for those who meet income eligibility guidelines. Seniors currently enrolled would not need to reapply if the Town opts into the updated law. Instead, the Assessor’s Office would automatically reprocess existing applications and adjust new submissions received by the March 1 deadline.

If approved, the expanded senior exemption would apply on a sliding income scale, with the highest 65 percent exemption available to residents earning less than $47,000 annually, decreasing incrementally for higher qualifying income brackets.

Three additional partial exemptions would be newly introduced in Huntington if adopted by the Town Board. Surviving spouses of firefighters or ambulance workers killed in the line of duty and surviving spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty could each qualify for a 50 percent assessed value exemption on their primary residence, provided ownership and documentation requirements are met.

The fourth category would provide a partial exemption for active-duty military members serving in a presidentially designated combat zone. This exemption would apply only to Town and County taxes and cannot be combined with other veterans exemptions or applied to school taxes under state law.

All four exemptions would be applicable beginning with the 2026-2027 tax season. New applicants must meet state eligibility standards and file by March 1, which is the New York State filing deadline. Applications submitted after that date will be denied. Annual refiling is required for some exemption categories.

Residents may submit applications in person at the Assessor’s Office Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., or by mail postmarked no later than March 1. Officials recommend certified or return-receipt mail for those choosing to file by post.

Applications, instructions and qualification details are available through the Town Assessor’s Office on the Town of Huntington website. Residents with questions about existing exemptions may contact the Assessor’s Office at 631-351-3226, while general inquiries may be directed to 631-351-3000.