Erie County Legislator Lynne Dixon introduced a resolution calling on Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature to reverse changes made to the Enhanced STAR program that provides property tax relief for qualified seniors.

This year, New York State has changed the way STAR rebates are awarded making it more difficult for seniors to apply and qualify for the rebate. Those who receive the partial tax exemption will also need to reapply for the program every year they receive Enhanced STAR benefits. Because of the changes, those applying for the tax credit or exemption were required to submit an income-verification form to their town tax assessor by March 1, 2019. This lead to widespread confusion and left many seniors being told they were ineligible to receive the Enhanced STAR benefit in 2019. Additionally, homeowners who owned their home prior to 2015 get the discount upfront and those who have recently moved or are new to enroll get the discount later in the form of a check from the state.Town assessors have also expressed frustration with the changes as they are trying to keep up with calls from concerned seniors.

Legislator Dixon said, “The state has added more hurdles to an already difficult application process which is going to hurt seniors.  For individuals living on a fixed income, every little bit of help counts. I hope Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature will work to simplify this process for the benefit of millions of seniors who rely on the STAR program.”