Senate Passes Helming Bill To Provide $90 Million In Recovery Grants and Tax Relief For Communities Affected By Lake Ontario Flooding

IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                             June 20, 2017
FOR MORE INFORMATION:                   Jonathan Monfiletto – 315-568-9816

New York State Senator Pamela A. Helming (R,C,I-Canandaigua) announced the unanimous passage of legislation (S. 6783) creating a new flood recovery grant program and a series of relief efforts in response to the historic flooding affecting communities across New York’s Lake Ontario Coastline.

“Across my district, there have been significant costs to property owners, homeowners’ associations, municipalities and business owners due to the severe flooding. For communities like the Town of Webster, this legislation will provide funding for not only flooding damages but also damages associated with the recent severe windstorm. Local governments are working tirelessly to assist their communities and neighbors as best as they can. Given all the hardships these communities face, this critical legislation will establish a grant program that will allow direct relief to flow to those affected and take some of the burden and pressure off local municipalities. I want to thank all of my colleagues in the Senate for their support and speedy passage of this vitally important legislation,” Senator Helming said.

This new measure provides a total of $90 million in flood relief and storm funding to address the extensive damage caused to personal and public property throughout the greater Lake Ontario/St.Lawrence Seaway watersheds between January and July 2017. Grants totaling $15 million for homeowners; $25 million for small businesses, neighborhood associations, farms, and not-for profit corporations; and $25 million for local governments would be made available to repair direct flood related damage along Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, Seneca Lake, the Seneca River, the Oswego River, the Oneida River, Oneida Lake and Cross Lake. An additional $15 million would also be available to counties help mitigate future flooding. Municipalities in the affected area that opt into doing so would also be able to provide longer-term tax relief to property owners for damaged property in the form of an assessment reduction.

In addition, the program also includes $10 million to help municipalities and special districts in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties that sustained direct physical flood-related damage during a severe storm in July 2015, and to help cover damage from a destructive Monroe County windstorm that occurred in March 2017. Several areas of New York State have been subject to extensive flooding and storm damage that greatly impacted homes, businesses, and infrastructure. A historically wet spring resulted in serious flood damage along major bodies of water - property eroded away, houses sustained damage, businesses were disrupted or forced to close, and infrastructure was broken.

The bill has passed both the Senate and Assembly.
 

Senator Helming represents the 54^th Senate District, which consists of Seneca and Wayne Counties, parts of Cayuga and Ontario Counties, and the towns of Lansing and Webster. For more information, please visit Senator Helming’s website, or follow @SenatorHelming on Facebook or Twitter.

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