Saratoga County Run Down: Hearing Scheduled for Tax Breaks for Disabled Veterans 9/11 Responders Honored, and State Money for Youth Sports Distributed.
It was a quick afternoon in Ballston Spa as the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors held its monthly meeting to decide legislation.
On the agenda this week, in addition to the normal spending items and hiring changes were a resolution honoring 9/11 first responders, a new tax breaks for disabled veterans, and over $250,000 in state funding distributed to youth sports.
Here is a rundown of key events at this week’s Saratoga County Board of Supervisors meeting.
Hearing Set for Major Tax Breaks for Disabled Veterans
A law that would grant a full county property tax exemption for veterans with a 100% disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was introduced this week with a public hearing set for Sept. 9.
The bill was introduced in response to a State Law passed in 2025 which granted jurisdictions the ability to grant a full exemption for those who are fully disabled due to injuries sustained during their time in military service.
To qualify veterans must have a disability rating of 100% from the VA. Under the VA’s system, the total disabilities a servicemember has is calculated and combined. The maximum rating is 100% while the lowest rating is 10%. These ratings determine monthly payments and other VA benefits.
According to Board of Supervisors Chair Phillip Barrett, in Saratoga County, there are 3,585 veterans receiving some sort of VA disability benefits. Of these 775 have a 100 disability rating from the VA with 705 of those being considered being considered permanently disabled, according to Saratoga Springs Supervisor Minita Sanghvi.
It’s unclear how many of these veterans own homes in Saratoga County. However, Sanghvi said that estimates from the county so far indicate that taxes would go up only a few dollars depending on the assessed value, due to this legislation. She also said that once this legislation is passed, the City of Saratoga Springs will be able to consider whether it wants to grant exceptions for city property taxes.
A public hearing on this legislation will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 9 in the Board of Supervisors room in Ballston Spa.
9/11 Anniversary Marked by the Council
During the meeting, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and honored four individuals with a connection to the attacks.
The four individuals were:
• Joe Fodera, a Halfmoon Town Justice who served as an NYPD detective who responded to the World Trade Center on 9/11 and served there for months afterwords.
• Robert “Bobby” Williams, a former Saratoga Springs Fire Chief and former member of New York Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue team who deployed to New York City in the aftermath of the attacks.
• Frank Tatum, a Stillwater resident and attorney who represented 9/11 victims’ families after the attacks. His mother, Diane Moore Parsons, was killed on 9/11.
• Tamim Fares, a US Army Sergeant and Saratoga County Veterans Service Officer who served during the War on Terror and saw combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Over $250,000 in Funds Distributed to local Youth Sports and Education Groups.
During the meeting, the Board of Supervisors voted on two resolutions that will have an impact on youth sports in Saratoga County.
The two related resolutions saw the Board of Supervisors accept and allocate over $250,000 in money for youth sports and education groups in Saratoga County. Of this money, $112,117 was for municipal youth team sports while $139,855 was for youth sports education and opportunity.
Here is a breakdown of who received the money.
• Ballston Spa Junior Baseball League: $15,000
• Galway Baseball and Softball League: $20,000
• Halfmoon Girls Softball: $15,000
• Miss Scotties Softball: $15,000
• Old Saratoga Athletic Association: $20,300
• Saratoga Youth Lacrosse Association: $10,000
• Burnt Hills Ballston Lake Youth Activity Fund: $11,300
• Department of Aging and Youth Services – Double Dutch Jump for Youth Month: $11,500
• Department of Aging and Youth Services – Lifeguard Training Course: $12,000
• Department of Aging and Youth Services –NW Region Dance Program: $13,000
• Department of Aging and Youth Services – Regional YSEF Opportunities: $18,300
• Mechanicville Area Community Services Center – Dance Program, Girls on the Run, & Open Sports Clinics: $8,000
• Shredders MTB, Inc. – Devo Bike Racing Team: $6,000
• Shredders MTB, Inc. – Youth Mountain Recreational Biking: $10,000
• Town of Corinth – Youth Sports Programming: $9,220
• Town of Northumberland – Summer Adventure Program: $10,000
• Town of Waterford – Learn to Swim: $9,557