By Elliot Brandt
BUFFALO — Veterans in Erie County whose military service left them permanently and totally disabled will no longer owe county property taxes on their homes, once they apply. County Executive Mark Poloncarz signed the local law on Tuesday, the day before Veterans Day, at the hangar building of the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park.
The same day, across the city on Elmwood Avenue, SUNY Buffalo State University announced it will turn the former Newman Center into a Veterans Center for students and for veterans across Western New York, paid for in part by a $1 million gift.
Together, the two announcements touch two of the biggest costs veterans face after service: keeping a home and paying for school. Here is what each one does, who qualifies, and what is still to come.
A full county tax exemption, if you qualify
The law, Local Law Intro. No. 6-1-2026, lets Erie County opt in to a provision of the state Real Property Tax Law, subdivision 11 of Section 458-a, according to the county executive’s release. It gives a 100% exemption from the county’s share of property taxes on the primary residence of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled as a result of service.
“The men and women affected by this new Local Law have served their country and are permanently and totally disabled as a result of that service,” Mr. Poloncarz said in the release. “Their sacrifice can never be fully repaid but this measure is one small way that a grateful community can thank them for that service.”
He described the law in plainer terms to WKBW. “It gave municipalities the ability to opt in to a provision that would then exempt any individual who has been determined to be 100% disabled as a result of their service in one of the military branches in our country,” he said. “With regard to their primary residence as a homeowner, they will not have to pay taxes to Erie County going forward.”
The measure passed the County Legislature unanimously, said Legislator Lindsay Lorigo, who represents West Seneca and joined the signing. “I think this is a good example of when everyone in Erie County can come together and say this is something we should do,” she told Buffalo Toronto Public Media. “It’s a really simple thing to do.”
She said cost was not a barrier. “It was a really simple thing to do, and we know that we can afford to offer veterans that are 100% disabled status a total exemption from Erie County,” Ms. Lorigo told WKBW.
The county has not said how many veterans will qualify or what the exemption will cost. Mr. Poloncarz said he was unsure of the exact number of eligible veterans, BTPM reported.
Who qualifies, and what it covers
The details matter, and there are deadlines. Here is what the county’s release, as reported by the Amherst Bee, and the officials at the signing said:
The disability must be permanent and total and connected to military service, documented by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A temporary disability does not qualify.
The home must be the veteran’s primary residence.
It covers the county’s share, including special district charges, assessments and special ad valorem levies, and can be combined with other veterans’ exemptions. Towns, cities and school districts are separate taxing jurisdictions and may need to adopt the exemption on their own, WKBW reported.
It starts with the 2027 tax year. The law applies to assessment rolls with taxable status dates beginning Oct. 1, 2026, and Ms. Lorigo said it takes effect in 2027.
Veterans must apply. The exemption is not automatic. Felice Krycia, director of the Erie County Veterans Service Agency, said her office can help. “We can direct them to what office they need to talk to, what paperwork they need to have, and what time limits there are, because there are time limits on when they need to get this paperwork in,” she told WKBW. The agency’s number is 716-858-6363. Local assessors can also explain filing deadlines.
A veterans center on Elmwood Avenue
At Buffalo State, President Jennifer L. Burris announced that the former Newman Center at 1219 Elmwood Ave., which once housed Catholic campus ministry, will open as a Veterans Center in fall 2027, after a $1 million gift from Foundation 214, a Williamsville-based foundation that supports veterans. The center will serve veteran and military-connected students, spouses and dependents, and will also be open to veterans from across the region through community partnerships, the university said.
“We’re creating a place of connection, belonging and opportunity that will strengthen families and our community for generations to come,” Dr. Burris said. “That is the power of education, and that is the promise of this Veterans Center.”
She told BTPM the plan was shaped by listening to veterans. “When we help a veteran succeed, we create opportunities for their spouses, for their children, for their grandchildren, and for generations that we may never meet,” she said. “I am especially proud that this center has been shaped by listening to our veterans, to our students, to our community partners.”
Kenny Williams, the university’s coordinator of veteran community engagement and a veteran himself, described why the services are grouped under one roof. “For many, that transition means navigating education, employment, healthcare, finances and family responsibilities, often all at the same time,” he said in the university’s release. “That’s why this center is so important. Because when someone is worried about housing, healthcare or paying their bills, it’s difficult to focus on earning a degree or planning for the future.”
Student Sasha Prince, an Army veteran, said the university’s existing veterans services, including a work-study program, have helped her keep studying while raising her daughter. “As veterans, our experiences aren’t always easy to explain to people who haven’t lived them,” she said. “That’s why having a place where people understand our challenges, recognize our experiences and help us find our way is so important.”
Chris Alfiero, Foundation 214’s executive director, said the gift was personal. “When we learned about Buffalo State’s vision for this Veterans Center, we saw an opportunity to bring that mission to life in a very tangible way,” he said in the release. He told BTPM that his father’s military service drives his work. “That these folks volunteer to do something that can end their life, and they do it anyway,” he said.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said in the release that the system is “committed to enrolling and supporting student veterans and ensuring they have the resources and services available to succeed on campus and in the classroom.”
What to watch
For the tax exemption, the key questions are how many Erie County veterans apply in the first year, what the exemption costs the county, and whether towns, cities and school districts adopt the same benefit for their shares of the tax bill. The Chronicle is asking the county for an estimate of the number of eligible homeowners and the expected cost.
For the Veterans Center, Buffalo State has not released a construction budget beyond the $1 million gift. The university said planning for the center began nearly two years ago and has drawn contributed professional services from several local firms.
Leave a Reply