The mayor and board of East Hills deserve a round of thanks and appreciation for passing the maximum senior citizens exemptions allowed for municipalities under New York state law. The decision was right-spirited and should be followed by all other villages in our State.

The mayor has also called upon the State Legislature to liberalize the qualifying limitations and bring greater equity to the tax system. Unfortunately, the Legislature now phases out the benefits completely at only $32,400 of income. Since I learned that the State Legislature has the sole authority to grant tax exemptions for municipalities, the State legislators should heed the mayor's call and raise the limitations so that forward thinking communities like East Hills are able to grant greater relief for retired seniors on fixed incomes. Kudos for the reform.

Natalie Gerenstein