Skoufis wants Goosepond State Park on Chester’s tax rolls

CHESTER — NYS Assemblyman James Skoufis (D-Woodbury) has authored legislation requiring New York State to pay taxes on Goosepond Mountain State Park to local school districts, the town of Chester, and Orange County.
“Chester taxpayers have been missing out on much-needed revenue," he said. "It’s a situation that’s flat-out wrong. “Other towns and school districts in Orange County receive revenue from state parks, so it’s a matter of fairness to provide Chester the same benefit.”
The park lies within the town of Chester and currently pays no school, local or county taxes. Revising the park’s real property tax status will result in excess of $100,000 annually in estimated revenue for the community.
Presently, all state parkland under the jurisdiction of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and located within the Orange County towns of Cornwall, Monroe, Warwick, and Woodbury are subject to real property taxation.
Skoufis says Chester is inexplicably absent from this decades-old law. His legislation, which is being carried in the Senate by Sen. Bill Larkin, seeks to rectify this inequity.
“Collecting taxes from Goosepond Mountain State Park means revenue that can be used to benefit the community as a whole, like tax relief, investing in our schools, and repairing our roads,” said Chester Town Supervisor Alex Jamieson. “I’m very grateful for Assemblyman Skoufis’ efforts to make sure Chester receives its fair share.”