Clavin asks governor for 30-day moratorium on school tax payments

Says seniors, businesses need breathing room as lay-offs soar

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In the face of massive lay-offs and rising interest rates, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Donald Clavin on Thursday asked N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo to issue an executive order deferring the second round of 2019-20 school tax payments to June 11 from May 11.

As Cuomo ordered a hike in mandatory lay-offs to 75 percent from 50 percent for most businesses on Thursday, Clavin sought breathing room for the township’s beleaguered residents and businesses. The move was also prompted by the large number of senior citizens — the group most susceptible to the COVID-19 virus — who pay their taxes in person.

“We’ve been reaching out to the governor and asking him to keep doing what he’s been doing — lead,” Clavin said. “We believe he will [issue the order].”

The first round of school taxes has already been collected. The second round represents about 65 percent of the total the town will collect this fiscal year.

“You can pay by credit card, by phone or online — you can even send us a letter,” said Receiver of Taxes Jeanine Driscoll, who joined Clavin. “But about 55,000 people — mainly seniors — still prefer to pay in person.”

The building where residents normally pay their taxes was closed because of the virus. But to underscore her point, Driscoll indicated the two collection booths behind the podium, where drivers continued to pay their taxes as she spoke.

“Thousands of taxpayers, especially senior citizens, are arriving at our offices recounting their concerns over exposure to the deadly virus,” Driscoll said. “We can tell you on a first-hand basis that senior citizens are the largest group of taxpayers who exercise the in-person payment option for … tax purposes.

Town Councilman Anthony D’Esposito, whom Clavin tapped to coordinate the town’s response to the virus, outlined some of the additional measures the town has taken in response to the crisis.

“We’re probably one of the only townships in the state that has a complete operational emergency medical facility,” he said. “Our most important mission is to keep everyone safe,” he said.

At the same time, D’Esposito described the devastation to local businesses as “scary. Restaurants that were booming businesses just a few weeks ago are now only doing take-out and delivery,” he said.

With the start of widespread testing this week, the number of positive cases has increased dramatically, and with them, governments at all levels are beginning to feel pressure to grant tax relief. Even the Internal Revenue Service, whose indomitability is proverbial, has agreed to waive penalties and interest on federal income taxes until July 15, provided taxpayers file their returns by April 15.

California and Maryland have also granted limited tax relief. California Gov. Gavin Newsome pushed back the state’s filing deadline by 60 days, according to news reports; and Maryland has eased payment requirements on some forms of business tax.