Assemblymember Pamela J. Hunter (D-Syracuse) announced that she co-sponsored legislation to eliminate obstacles in the state’s School Tax Relief (STAR) program and ensure all New Yorkers who qualify for STAR receive timely tax relief (A.5969).

“We must streamline the process to ensure homeowners get the tax relief they deserve,” said Hunter. “The changes made to STAR last year overcomplicated this process and many people received rebate checks months after the state promised, if they received them at all. This legislation would eliminate these headaches.”

The proposed legislation would return administration of the program from the state Department of Taxation and Finance to local assessors, and ensure all eligible homeowners receive upfront reductions on their school tax bill instead of through rebate checks. The 2016 changes required new homeowners – both first-time homeowners and those who moved to a different home – to pay the full tax bill and then register for a check from the state. The amount of tax relief remained the same, but the process was far more problematic, noted Hunter.

The bill also requires the state to help local governments in notifying residents of these changes so that all eligible residents can take full advantage of the STAR program. Those who were enrolled in the STAR rebate program last year will be placed in the STAR Exemption program going forward. It would also allow new homeowners who have not yet registered to receive STAR a 60-day window to apply for the exemption for the 2017-18 school year.

“I’m committed to ensuring every homeowner who is eligible gets the property tax relief they deserve,” said Hunter. “My office has received numerous calls from constituents who had difficulty with the STAR program last year, ranging from late checks to incorrect rebate amounts and we are taking the appropriate action to fix the problem.”