Kathy Hochul on Property Tax Law

Governor Kathy Hochul has taken action on New York Property Tax Law through signing various bills into law, demonstrating a pattern of targeted amendments rather than broad reform. Her executive actions have focused on providing specific property tax exemptions, such as signing legislation that expanded relief for veterans with 100-percent service-connected disabilities, which grants a full exemption at local option. She also approved revisions to Real Property Tax Law section 575-b, which clarifies the appraisal model for valuing solar and wind energy systems to ensure predictability for developers while incorporating host community payments as expenses and excluding federal tax credits from revenue streams.

The Governor’s approach involves approving legislation that amends existing exemptions or introduces new ones based on demographic status or economic purpose, as evidenced by signing measures concerning service members in combat zones and surviving spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty. Conversely, she has also demonstrated a willingness to veto legislation that could lead to higher taxes for existing property owners, such as a bill that sought to exclude emergency medical services costs from the local government property tax levy cap. Her involvement primarily centers on signing bills that create or modify exemptions, often in response to legislative action or judicial findings.