As fire and EMS staffing shortages continue to plague communities across the state, a new tax incentive passed by the state and being offered to counties is looking to help with that.
It’s a 10-percent property tax exemption for volunteer firefighters and EMS– and it’s something Rensselaer County is hoping to provide.
Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin says this is something he wants to adopt, but it still needs approval from the county legislature.
McLaughlin says volunteer fire and ems personnel can either take this 10-percent property tax exemption or a $250 tax credit. First responders are eligible after two years of service.
“We certainly want to recognize our first responders and the great job they do. We hope that it will help with recruitment, which is a problem in every county in the state of New York that relies on volunteers like we do,” said McLaughlin.