Veterans Day Service has been special in Ossining for 81 years now! Thank you to our Veterans, Scout Troop 49, the police, elected officials, and residents for making this day meaningful. On Veterans Day, we come together to appreciate those who serve us today in our nation's armed forces and those that did so in the past. For nearly two and a half centuries, these brave American people have been best defined by values such as courage, integrity, loyalty, and selflessness, and today we honor the contributions and sacrifices they have made in duty to our country.
In New York State, there are nearly 700,000 veterans who have served our country, and more than 20,000 New Yorkers currently serve on active duty. It's important to consider those numbers for a moment because for each service member in our State, there are countless husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, and children who love them and have also sacrificed much when they are actively deployed.
Did you know that this year the NYS Division of Veterans' Services will be elevated to a Department-level agency so that veterans can access all their programs or earned benefits from a single office?
Businesses hiring qualified veterans may be eligible for the expanded Hire-A-Veteran Tax Credit, worth up to $20,000 per veteran hired, up from $15,000. The credit can now be claimed for all veterans, not just those discharged after September 1, 2001.
Veterans may also be eligible for additional local tax exemptions that could lower their property tax bills by as much as 50 percent if they were disabled because of their military service.
Our debt to these heroes can never be repaid, but we can show our gratitude and respect by helping to sustain them and giving them the opportunities to pursue their dreams.
To the veterans and their families reading this message, I thank you for your service.
