Council to Vote on Full Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans

What happened

The New York City Council announced on 11/11/2026, Veterans Day, that it would vote on a package of three veterans bills at its Stated Meeting the next day. amNY reported that the vote was expected on 11/12/2026 and that officials said the bills had enough support to pass.

The main bill, Introduction 1051-A, is sponsored by Council Member Frank Morano. It would fully exempt the primary residence of a permanently and totally disabled veteran from property taxes, special district charges, assessments and special ad valorem levies. The veteran must meet all other requirements of section 458-a of the state real property tax law. Morano said the state already lets local governments eliminate property taxes for veterans who are 100 percent disabled from military service. He estimated relief for about 4,500 veteran households at a cost to the city of less than $5 million. amNY reported that the city already offers partial exemptions to eligible veterans and must pass its own law before homeowners can get the full exemption. amNY also said it is unclear when the savings would show up on tax bills.

Introduction 488-A, sponsored by Council Member Inna Vernikov, would require HPD to report each year on how many veterans or surviving spouses apply for city-run Mitchell-Lama housing and how many are selected. The goal is to confirm that applicants who get the veteran preference are in fact veterans. Introduction 928-A, sponsored by Minority Leader David M. Carr, would create a permanent LGBTQ+ liaison at the Department of Veterans' Services (DVS). The liaison would do outreach, help coordinate discharge characterization upgrades, and connect veterans to services.

The Council also said it secured more than $4 million for veteran programs in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget. That includes $3.4 million for Citywide Initiatives covering veteran health, housing, education, employment, benefits access and other services.