NEW SCOTLAND — The school board here adopted, with a split vote, the state-allowed Alternate Veterans’ Exemption for wartime, combat, and disabled veterans after a public hearing on Monday. Veterans who apply can receive a reduction in their taxes.

“The state is incredibly stupid. This whole process was wrong,” said school board President Timothy Blow, who cast the sole negative vote. Blow said the district will have to re-allocate lost taxes from the veterans’ exemptions to other district residents who may ill afford a tax increase.

The state should have passed the exemption for all veterans, rather than leaving school districts to shoulder the cost, Blow said.

“Agreed,” one audience member called out.

Referring to neighboring districts that authorized the exemption in 2013 when it was first offered, Blow said, “The commercial percentage [of tax revenue] in Guilderland and Bethlehem is significantly changed from Voorheesville.” He added that the exemption in Voorheesville will shift the burden of taxes from one segment of the community to another.

“It will impact, and impact negatively,” he said. “There is no income limit.” Blow said that a millionaire veteran can shift the tax burden onto a senior citizen.

“To me, that’s just wrong,” Blow said. “It’s not the way it should be.”

Since the exemption became available in 2013, school districts across the state have tackled the question of passing the cost of veterans’ taxes onto other taxpayers. Of the six school districts in the town of New Scotland, Guilderland, Bethlehem, Berne-Knox-Westerlo, and Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk had previously adopted resolutions to grant the exemption, but Greenville and Voorheesville had not.

“It’s important as an example to children, and to the young men and women who may serve in the future,” said local resident Timothy Albright, who urged the board to adopt the tax exemption.

The Alternative Veterans' Exemption is available on a veteran's primary residence, according to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

Voorheesville had previously held out on adopting the measure, as neighboring districts — some with larger commercial bases — passed the exemptions. Like Bethlehem and Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, Voorheesville adopted the lowest level exemption.

Wartime veterans are now eligible for a $6,000 exemption limit on taxes; combat zone veterans are eligible for an additional $4,000 exemption, for a total of $10,000; and disabled veterans are eligible for an additional $20,000.

According to the state Department of Taxation, veterans are eligible for the exemption if they served in the Persian Gulf conflict, from 1990 to the present; the Vietnam War, from 1961 to 1975; the Korean War, from 1950 to 1955; or World War II, from 1941 to 1946.

Vetarans are also eligible if they received an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, a Navy, Marine Corps, or Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; if they served in World War II in the United States Merchant Marine; if they served as a civilian during World War II in the American Field Service under U. S. Armies and the U.S. Army Groups; or as a flight crew and aviation ground support employee of Pan American Airlines' contract with the Air Transport Command; or if they are a member of the reserve component of the Armed Forces who received an honorable discharge from active duty, but are still a member of the reserves.

James Franchini, Voorheesville’s assistant superintendent for finance and operations, said that 274 of the 2203 parcels in the town of New Scotland within the Voorheesville district are eligible for the exemption. For a home with an assessed value of $250,000, the increase to those residents not receiving the exemption would be $18.71 per year for school taxes, and $1.21 per year for library taxes.

Residential properties owned by veterans would see tax exemptions of 15 percent for wartime veterans, and additional 10 percent for those who saw combat, and 33 percent for veterans who became disabled during their service.

Savings for district veterans, based on a $250,000 home assessment, will be $116 for wartime service, $193 for combat service, or a range for disabled veterans of $329 to $327, Franchini said.

One audience member asked if the purpose of the exemption were to alleviate hardship or to recognize veterans.

“The idea was to recognize veterans,” Blow said, referring to a similar exemption available for town and county taxes.

One veteran said he should receive from the district “some recognition to get a break. We should get that same compliment from Voorheesville.”

“I would favor a recognition, but not as much of a recognition,” said resident David Ernst. He said that other taxpayers would be negatively affected as much as the veterans were positively affected.

Several veterans said that they continue to help the public after they return from service, volunteering in the community with fire and rescue squads, Scouts, and other service positions.

“I feel uneasy for taking something,” said veteran Kevin Kroencke. He said that disabled veterans should receive an exemption, but that veterans like himself, who served at the end of the Vietnam War, received several benefits from service, like the GI Bill.

“I don’t think I need another exemption,” Kroencke said.

Board member Doreen Saia clarified that veterans may choose to sign up for a tax exemption; they are not required to.

Many veterans at the public hearing thanked the board, before it voted, for considering adopting the exemption.

“The only way to open it up for people who need it is to open it up for everybody,” said another veteran.

“I would propose the lower exemption,” said board member C. James Coffin. “My concern is…I support the vets. I was never in the military. I lost two good friends in the Vietnam War, and another friend in that war.”

His relatives served in World War II, he said.

“I remember the details they laid out in war,” Coffin said. “With this particular grant, it really isn’t going to impact the district cash…When we give these grants, that money has to be replaced. It’s being replaced. There are many others in the community that are having many difficulties.

“It’s difficult for seniors,” Coffin continued. “This has to be spread over everybody in the community. There are other people in the community who are going to be pinched…It should be needs-based. That’s the piece that’s missing.”

Saia said that she was “torn,” regarding how to vote.

“You’ve done something very honorable,” she told the veterans. “I worry about people in our school district who are struggling financially.

“The New Scotland food pantry sits out there as a resource,” she continued about the organization centered at St. Matthew’s Church. Saia said that residents using the pantry do not need to show paperwork to receive items.

“It’s completely confidential,” Saia said. “If $20 or $50 on a tax bill is too much for you to bear, that resource sits there for you to use as little or as much as you need.”

According to the district, veterans must file for the tax exemption with their town assessor's office by March 1 to apply this exemption to school taxes for 2016-17.  Veterans who already receive the Alternative Veterans' Exemption on property taxes do not need to file a new application; the exemption will automatically appear on registered veterans’ school tax bills.

Blow said that he sees many of the veterans at the public hearing weekly, as they volunteer together.

“I do sincerely appreciate all the service of you all,” he said.