Westchester County homeowners, including residents of Bronxville, Scarsdale, and Eastchester, are one vote away from property tax relief after the county Legislation Committee passed four local laws on Monday, July 27, granting exemptions to surviving spouses of fallen first responders and to veterans.
The measures cleared the joint committee session and would reduce the county property tax bill by up to 50 percent on the primary residence of qualifying residents. A full Board of Legislators vote is still required before the exemptions take effect.
Who qualifies
The four local laws cover:
- Surviving spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty (Local Law 2026-313)
- Surviving spouses of volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance members killed in the line of duty (Local Law 2026-315)
- Active-duty service members serving in a combat zone (Local Law 2026-324)
- Seriously disabled veterans injured in the line of duty (Local Law 2026-326)
Each local law was paired with a public hearing resolution, for a total of eight items passed at the Monday, July 27 session, which began at 10 a.m. in the Committee Room, according to the county's Legistar record. The minutes carry a "Published Draft" status, and individual legislator vote tallies have not been released.
How the exemptions work
Westchester County is opting into authority granted by New York State. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed S683-A on Jan. 9, 2026, adding Section 471 to the Real Property Tax Law and allowing local governments to exempt up to 50 percent of the assessed value of a surviving spouse's primary residence. A companion law, S688-A, signed in December 2025, extended similar relief to surviving spouses of volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers who served between two and five years before being killed in the line of duty.
State Sen. Monica R. Martinez, the sponsor of S683-A, said on Jan. 9 when the bill was signed on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day that the legislation "recognizes that reality and offers assistance to help them maintain stability during an incredibly painful experience."
Under state law, eligible residents must file an application with their local assessor on or before the taxable status date using a state-prescribed form. The county has not yet published specific application instructions or deadlines for Westchester residents.
Local impact
The Eastchester Fire District, which serves the Town of Eastchester and the Villages of Tuckahoe and Bronxville, is directly affected by the volunteer firefighter and ambulance member exemption. Surviving spouses of volunteer members killed in the line of duty within that district would be eligible for the county-level tax break once the full board acts.
The actual dollar savings will vary by property and assessed valuation.
What's next
The first-responder measures (2026-312 through 2026-315) were introduced at the June 29 Board of Legislators meeting, where Majority Leader Judah Holstein moved and Minority Leader Margaret Cunzio seconded their referral to committee. Both motions carried unanimously, according to the June 29 BOL minutes. The introduction date of the veterans measures (2026-323 through 2026-326) is not confirmed in the public record.
The full 17-member Board of Legislators must still vote on the local laws before they are enacted. No August meeting date has been posted on the county's public legislative calendar. Residents can check the county Board of Legislators website for the next scheduled session and information on how to submit public comment.
