Long Island residents to return property taxes in the amount of $ 2,7 million

The money was not spent for its intended purpose, so it was decided to return it to the people. Some homeowners will receive up to $ 11 in the near future. The edition writes about it New York Post.

Robert Kennedy, mayor of Freeport Village, located on the south coast of Long Island, has announced a $ 2,7 million refund in property taxes to taxpayers. He announced this on Tuesday, October 13.

Earlier this year, Kennedy was forced to impose a 5,23% increase in property taxes for homeowners to help cover the cost of complying with the controversial Discovery Law. The latter took effect in New York on January 1, 2020.

Freeport was predicted to need an additional $ 2,7 million to comply with the law - to pay court and police department workers and to buy equipment for their work.

The announcement on Tuesday came six months after state legislators made some amendments to the Disclosure Act, which greatly reduced the workload that the new law was expected to place on police and judicial officials.

And since the money was not used, it was decided to return it to the taxpayers. So now Freeport homeowners will get their money back in the form of checks in the amount of $ 250 to $ 11 thousand - depending on the value of the property and its valuation. Checks will be issued in the next two weeks. “I am delighted to announce that Freeport Village will return this money to you taxpayers. Every cent, "Kennedy said. “I would like to thank all members of our community who have advocated the amendment of these laws.”

According to the original law, local police and prosecutors were required to hand over all evidence or evidence to those accused of crimes or violations within 15 days of being charged.

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But Albany did not provide additional funding to comply with the new law. “It was an unfair, underfunded mandate,” Kennedy said.

Under the revised law, the prosecution has 20 calendar days to disclose information regarding the accused in custody. If the accused is not in custody, the term is 35 calendar days.

Kennedy, who was president of the New York State Conference of Mayors, has actively lobbied for a disclosure law to avoid overwhelming local governments, law enforcement, and the courts.

He said he was very happy to cancel the tax hike and return the money to property owners. “Why keep money? People really need funds, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, ”Kennedy said.

It is worth noting that Kennedy plans to run for re-election for a third term in 2021.