Towns of Goshen, Chester consider property tax exemptions for certain disabled veterans
News. Exemption is optional for towns and villages and mandatory for school districts.
| 11 Aug 2026 | 09:17
Certain disabled veterans living in Goshen and Chester may be eligible for property tax exemptions. (
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Both the Town of Goshen and Town of Chester plan to participate in a new property tax exemption for certain disabled veterans, the towns’ supervisors said.
The 2026-27 New York State budget included a new property tax exemption for certain disabled veterans that is optional for towns and villages and mandatory for school districts.
Goshen Supervisor Joseph Betro said exemptions will be offered to veterans who have a permanent and total service-related disability, are rated 100 percent disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs, are rated unemployable by the VA, are eligible or have received a specially adapted housing grant from the VA and own or occupy the property as their primary residence. The exemption takes effect as law on Oct. 1.
Chester assessor John Schuler said, “We’re still reading the bill. We’re still ironing out some of the intricacies of it.”
He noted that there are some tax exemptions already in effect for veterans with different thresholds met depending on what kind of service the veteran gave and whether he or she was injured. There had been nothing approaching a 100-percent exemption, however.
Betro said the town of Goshen would be waiting for the county to take action on the exemption before making a move. The county executive’s office did not return request for comment.
Supervisor Brandon Holdridge of Chester said his town was not waiting on the county for any action and planned to pass the exemption before the end of the year. Both supervisors said they anticipated the exemption would be ready for tax year 2027.
The topic came up at the July 23 meeting of the town board of Goshen. Peter Rollins of the Department of New York Disabled American Veterans spoke, asking the town board to consider the exemption.
Betro said, “We can’t do enough for our disabled veterans. Thank you for being there for this country and the residents of the town of Goshen.”
Originally the exemption was optional for school districts, as well, but on Feb. 13 an amendment was passed by state lawmakers making it mandatory.