Governor Gives East Setauket Chabad A Shot At Tax Refund

At least somebody’s getting a tax break.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation giving Chabad at Stony Brook a second chance to apply for a property tax exemption on its East Setauket property, opening the door to a refund of taxes already paid.

The measure authorizes the Brookhaven Town assessor to accept a late application from Chabad for an exemption covering all 2025 general and school taxes.

The legislation does not automatically wipe away the organization’s tax bill. Instead, it allows the application to be treated as though it had been filed by the required taxable-status deadline.

The assessor must determine that Chabad would have qualified for the exemption had its application been submitted on time. Any correction to the assessment roll would then require approval from the Brookhaven Town Board.

If the exemption is ultimately granted and the assessment roll is corrected, Suffolk County could refund property taxes Chabad has already paid

The law also allows for the cancellation of unpaid taxes, fines, penalties, liens or interest associated with the property.

The amount of the potential exemption or refund was not specified in the legislation.

The measure was sponsored by Sen. Anthony Palumbo and passed by a 59-1 vote. The measure was carried by Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay.

The bill applies specifically to Chabad’s 2024-25 assessment roll and its 2025 general and school taxes. Hochul’s signature gives the organization an opportunity it otherwise would have lost by missing the filing deadline, but the final decision on whether it receives the exemption remains at the local level.

Chabad at Stony Brook is a Jewish religious and community organization serving the Stony Brook University community.