Bills proposed
Tax breaks for veterans, penalties for loose dogs

NEW SCOTLAND — War veterans will get bigger tax breaks and dog-owners with loose animals will face bigger penalties — and potentially jail time — if two local bills are passed by the town board next month.

Public hearings for both bills will be held directly before February’s regularly-scheduled town board meeting.

In 2005, the New York State Legislature amended the real-property tax law authorizing the adoption of local laws to increase the maximum tax exemption for war veterans.
New Scotland’s proposed law reads, "The town board finds and determines that the sacrifices and services provided by veterans should be acknowledged by providing certain tax exemptions." The board wants to increase the real property tax exemptions to the state maximum, which would mirror what Albany County has done.

If adopted, veterans would receive a 15-percent reduction not to exceed $36,000. Combat veterans then get another 10 percent of their real property assessed value exempted, not to exceed another $24,000.

Veterans who have received a compensation rating from the United States Veterans’ Administration or from the United States Department of Defense because of a service-connected disability, will be exempt from New Scotland property tax to the extent of the assessed value of their property multiplied by 50 percent of the veterans disability rating.

The percentages to be applied are the same as in past years. However, the maximum amount to which they can be applied is proposed to change.

In 2005, the highest assessed value the reduction percent could be applied to was $153,000. Next year, if the bill passes, the highest value would be $240,000.

The other town law the board is considering is to increase the penalties New Scotland judges can give to those who have violated the town’s dog ordinances. Town attorney Michael Mackey said that the town justices Margaret Adkins and Thomas Dolin asked him to draft the law to clear up the ambiguities of the existing law.

The most significant change is that more penalties have been added, Mackey said. The penalties that can be imposed are now less ambiguous, Mackey stated. He used Clifton Park’s law as a model, since it had recently been revamped.

The bill proposes for a first offense that a dog owner may recieve a fine of $100 or be imprisoned not to exceed 15 days.

Council member Deborah Baron asked if both judges were in support of the new law.
Yes, Mackey responded. "They felt the need for the dog law to have more teeth." His unintended pun resulted in laughter in town hall.

Mackey also clarified that, within the existing town ordinance, dogs are not allowed to run loose on public property or on someone else’s property — dogs have to be leashed. However, someone’s dog is allowed to run on its owner’s private property.

Clark said that, by the time a resident receives a citation from the dog warden, it means the animal-control officers have already visited the dog owner three or four times, and the person has continually let his dog get loose.

While, at first, jail time sounds harsh, public safety Commissioner Doug Miller said that the sentence follows the state’s standard. It is standard, he said, for incremental penalties to include the potential of both fines and jail time. He said the proposed local law is the state’s lowest offense one can get.

Mackey said that, even with speeding tickets, most people don’t realize individuals can get a fine or jail time. Zoning administrator Paul Cantlin said that violations of the town’s zoning ordinance include potential jail time as well.

Miller said that enforcement and noteworthy consequences will protect the public’s safety and residents’ livestock from loose dogs.