Council Holds 3 Public Hearings; Schedules 2 More

OSWEGO – Three down; two more coming up soon.

Local laws 1, 2 and 3 (of 2019) were approved by the Common Council Monday night.

A public hearing was held for each of the three proposals. There were no speakers.

Local Law No. 1 is a local law amending Local Law No. 1 of 1995 – a local law providing for a partial exemption of water rents and of taxation of property of parties older than 65 whose income is less than $25,000 a year.

The new guidelines will allow more seniors to take advantage of the exemption, the mayor said, pointing out the threshold hasn’t been updated since 1996.

The amount is based on the senior’s annual income. It ranges from more than $22,500 or less up to a high of $29,501 or more but less than $30,500.

“It’s long over-due,” Council President Rob Corradino agreed. “It’s the right thing to do.”

Local Law No. 2 is a local law amending Local Law No. 1 of 1997 – a local law known as the Alternative Veteran’s Exemption.

It’s also known as the Gold Star Parents Tax Exemption, the mayor said.

“If a father or mother lost a son or daughter fighting in the U.S. Armed Forces, they qualify for this exemption,” he said.

The amount would depend on the time that the person served and the medals that they received, he added.

Local Law No. 3 is a local law known as the Cold War Veterans Property Tax Exemption Act

All three passed unanimously.

Then, the councilors set public hearings on two other proposed issues.

• Proposed Local Law No. 4 of the Year 2019 is a local law amending Chapter 85, Buildings, Vacant, of the Code of the city of Oswego. It would establish a revolving loan program to allow the city to rehabilitate certain properties; the cost and a surcharge and interest would be added to the property owner’s tax bill

• And the proposed new Cingular Wireless Telecommunications facility at 300 E. Albany St.

The public hearings would be held on March 11 at 7:05 p.m. and 7:10 p.m., respectively, in the Council Chambers at City Hall.