At Thursday’s session, the Erie County Legislature passed legislation that will allow furloughed federal government employees in Erie County a 90-day extension to pay their property taxes. The legislation was requested by Legislator Lynne Dixon on January 25, 2019. The State Legislature passed a bill authorizing local governments to extend the deadline for property taxes without penalties or interest, but it requires Erie County to pass a resolution to grant the extension.

“I’d like to thank the Erie County Department of Real Property Tax Services for moving quickly on my request and my colleagues in the Legislature for supporting a measure to support furloughed employees here in in Erie County,” said Legislator Dixon. “This extension will provide relief for many employees who endured weeks without a paycheck. Unfortunately these employees could find themselves in a similar situation in a week when the temporary agreement between the President and Congress concludes. I’m hopeful our elected officials in Washington can come together and find a way to fund the government long-term. Their actions have real consequences, whether they realize it or not, and our federal employees shouldn’t be caught in the middle.”

A copy of the resolution that passed Thursday can be found here. More information on Legislator Dixon’s request can be found here.