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County Tables Law That Could Cost Rye Brook Tax Money

RYE BROOK, N.Y. -- Westchester's Board of Legislators has tabled a resolution that could potentially cost the village of Rye Brook and the Blind Brook School District hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue.

A resolution that could have cost the Blind Brook School District a large sum of tax revenue has been tabled and will be revisited by the county next year.

A resolution that could have cost the Blind Brook School District a large sum of tax revenue has been tabled and will be revisited by the county next year.

Photo Credit: The Daily Voice File Photo

The Board held a public hearing at its meeting Monday night on a local law granting lease agreements to Signature Flight Support. Signature had filed a lawsuit last year against the county, claiming exemption from property and school taxes. The original law that was to be discussed allowed lease agreements with a stipulation that Signature drop its lawsuit. But at the last minute, the law was changed and did not include the stipulation, prompting concern from school and village officials.

The law has now been re-committed, and will go back to committee when the next legislative session begins next year.

"It's a big step forward," said Blind Brook School Board President Nancy Barr. "Not only for our district and the county and the town and the village, but also for public education, because I think that public education has really been under siege these last couple of years, and losing this kind of tax money that goes to the public schools would really be very dire."

Rye Brook Mayor Paul Rosenberg said he was happy that the matter had been re-committed and that further work would be done. He said that he is hopeful that the school and village will be able to have their voices heard when the matter comes up again next year.

"This would affect hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Village of Rye Brook, as well as millions of dollars to the Blind Brook School District, as well as the Town of Rye, as well as the county of Westchester County. It really is a county-wide matter," Rosenberg said.

Larry Jorash, vice president of operations for Signature, also attended the meeting, and said that the legislation was changed at the last minute without Signature's knowledge. He said that the revised legislation could have caused financial burden to the village and school district that Signature does not want.

Signature released a statement following the tabling of the resolution saying, "We look forward to having this matter settled, returning to the original proposed and agreed legislation, and being reintroduced in January."

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