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Community Corner
Residents have a new way to pay their taxes while still adhering to social distancing guidelines amid the coronavirus outbreak.
TOWN OF BABYLON, NY — The Town of Babylon recently opened a new drive-thru to allow residents to pay their taxes in a safe way amid the coronavirus crisis. The town leased three booths, which contain the necessary technology so residents can pay their property taxes without leaving their car. The booths are set up in the westernmost parking lot of Town Hall on 200 East Sunrise Highway in Lindenhurst.
Residents are asked to enter the lot from N. Indiana Avenue, where they will be met by Town Public Safety Officers who will screen them for the correct documents and necessary PPE. Once they have been helped, residents will exit the lot via the main entrance/exit on Sunrise Highway. A fourth line will be formed along the curb for those paying cash. These residents will be escorted into the building by Public Safety Officers to complete their transaction. Employees in the booths will be provided with masks and gloves while dealing with the public. All residents are also required to wear the necessary personal protective equipment.
"When I took office last January, I certainly didn’t expect to have to deal with a situation like this during my first full tax collection season," Tax Receiver Jennifer Montiglio said.
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Residents can pay their taxes Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hours will be extended beginning May 17 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. through 12 p.m. Saturday.
"Jennifer has done an amazing job with the cards she has been dealt," Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer said. "This is a great solution for the difficult timing the situation has presented us, and may even help many senior citizens who can now get their taxes paid from the comfort of their car."
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In addition, Schaffer, Deputy Supervisor Tony Martinez and the rest of the Town Board sent a letter to Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone formally requesting a suspension of penalties for residents who pay before August 1, 2020 that can prove financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Bellone has not responded to that request as of Wednesday.
"We are hopeful our County Executive will be able to provide our struggling residents with some relief on their property tax payments at this point. All ten town Supervisors were happy to help him lobby for the amendment to the Municipality Liquidity Facility (MLF) through the federal CARES Act, which he said would provide that much needed relief for taxpayers," Schaffer said. "We’re about three weeks out from the deadline and still haven’t heard anything. We took him at his word that the MLF amendment would provide that relief. I hope he understands that we are under a moral obligation to help those who have been negatively impacted by this terrible pandemic."
Town of Babylon residents can also still pay their tax bill online via the Town website, through the mail or by phone. For more information, please visit the Tax Receiver’s page.
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