Village grants tax exemption to fire, ambulance volunteers

Warwick — Fire and ambulance volunteers living in the Village of Warwick will be eligible for a partial property tax exemption beginning next year. The village board agreed Monday night to grant the exemption, the same one the town granted earlier this year. The county did the same a year ago. Warwick Fire Chief Frank Corkum was grateful to the board. “I want to thank the board and mayor for being proactive on this,” said Corkum, who has been a member of the Warwick Fire Department for 22 years, serving as chief for six. “We are fortunate here in Warwick. We have volunteers who can answer calls all times of the day.” The exemption ends up being a small amount of savings to the volunteers. It is a 10 percent exemption, up to $3,000 off the full assessment of property to the volunteers who qualify. Properties throughout the town are not assessed at full value. Instead, an equalization rate is used. In March, that equalization rate was 14 percent of the assessment. The town and county exemptions would total about $16 in savings. The village exemption will be similar to the town’s - about $7. “That’s okay,” said Corkum. “This is a strong token gesture and we appreciate it.” To qualify for the exemption, one must be a certified member of the volunteer group for a minimum of five years, own the property, and have it be their primary residence. Those with 20 years of services receive a lifetime exemption. When the Town Board approved this in March, fire chiefs from Warwick, Florida and Greenwood Lake all welcomed the exemption, calling it an incentive to get and keep volunteers in a climate where volunteers are spread very thin.