Young Double-Dipped on Exemption; Takes Steps to Pay Money Back

UPDATE: The New York State Assessor's Office says Senator Young in fact did not "double dip" STAR tax relief. The North Greenbush home exemption was registered prior to her purchase. The Assessor's Office says it was an honest mistake by both parties.

She has already paid the money back, with interest. It came to about $2,000.

In a statement to the media, Young said she appreciates that assessor John Harkin came forward and verified the mistake. She also said she appreciates the support and encouragement she has received over the past couple of days, and added that she has tried to let this incident be too much of a distraction as she and other lawmakers work on the state budget.

State Senator Cathy Young says she was unaware until over the weekend that she had been “double-dipping” into the STAR property tax exemption and she said it was her husband’s mistake.

In a statement to the media Young said, "Like many families, my husband handles all of our financial matters. I just found out about this. I took immediate action to correct it. I have filed the appropriate legal documents to cancel the STAR (on a condominium they own in the Albany area) and repay the full amount owed. The assessor is calculating how much and as soon as I have the assessor's figures, it will be paid in full."

She and her husband own a home in Olean, as well as the condo she uses while working in the state capitol.

Young’s husband had been claiming the exemption for about 10 years, and she just learned about it over the weekend.

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