December 29, 2023

Paid $165 million in property and school taxes across nine Hudson Valley and Catskill counties in 2023; was second highest taxpayer in Westchester

$105 million went directly to public schools throughout the watershed region

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced it paid $165 million in local village, town, city, county and school taxes throughout 2023 across nine Hudson Valley and Catskill counties covering the water supply system that serves nearly half of the state’s population. With this year’s payments, DEP remains a top taxpayer throughout many municipalities and schools in and near the watershed region, paying taxes on the full-assessed value of land, structures, easements, and most water supply infrastructure across the approximately 230,000 acres owned or controlled by New York City for the water supply system.

“While delivering the highest quality water possible to half the State’s population, DEP is also proud to help support our neighbors and host communities who make it possible,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “From economic development incentives to watershed protection programs and full local property taxes, DEP directly infuses hundreds of millions of dollars to local communities each year throughout the water supply region.”

DEP pays property and school taxes at full assessed value on all land, reservoirs, dams and structures across the approximately 230,000 acres it owns or controls throughout the 2,000-square-mile watershed in the Hudson Valley and Catskills, including the tens of thousands of acres open to the public for recreational purposes such as hiking, fishing, hunting and boating, as well as on property used for agricultural purposes. Piping and aqueducts used to convey water are tax exempt. Taxes are paid on all properties originally acquired to build the 19 upstate reservoirs and three controlled lakes between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries (about 78,000 acres), and all land and assets acquired since to operate the supply system and as buffer land to help protect water quality (approximately 156,000 acres).

In 2023, DEP was among the top taxpayers in numerous municipalities and school districts across the watershed region. DEP paid more county government property taxes than any other property owner in Ulster, Delaware, Putnam and Schoharie counties, and was the second highest in Westchester County.

Of the total $165 million in taxes DEP paid, more than $105 million went directly to public schools throughout the nine-county region. For example, in Delaware County DEP taxes made up about a third of the total tax levy for the Deposit Central School District and two-thirds of the Downsville Central School District, with significant payments to others throughout the county. In Sullivan County, DEP covered more than half of the entire tax levy for the Tri-Valley Central School District (which spans into part of southwestern Ulster County). In Schoharie County, DEP taxes made up half the total tax levy for the Gilboa-Conesville Central School District. In Ulster County, DEP taxes covered more than a third of the Ellenville Central School District tax levy and close to 20 percent of the Onteora Central School District’s total levy. In Westchester County schools, DEP taxes made up more than 20 percent of the Valhalla Union Free School District’s total tax levy, more than 30 percent of the Pocantico Hills Central School District levy, 10 percent of the North Salem Central School District Levy, and made significant payments to others throughout the county. In Putnam County, DEP paid more than 5 percent of the total tax levies in each the Mahopac, Carmel and Brewster central school districts.

DEP also has an authorized head count of more than 1,000 employees throughout the upstate watershed and water supply system.

“Most of those employees call the water supply region home, with many who raise families, shop, own homes, pay taxes and educate their children in the myriad communities we work hand-in-hand with to deliver the best quality water possible,” said DEP Deputy Commissioner Paul V. Rush of the Bureau of Water Supply.

DEP’s 2023 local property and school tax payments break down as follows:

Delaware County

On 1,224 parcels, DEP paid $6,472,930 in county property taxes and $12,213,348 in school taxes.

• Town of Colchester – On 36 parcels, DEP paid $1,904,610 in town property taxes.
• Town of Deposit – On 1 parcel, DEP paid $642,585 in town property taxes.
• Town of Tompkins – On 68 parcels, DEP paid $557,547 in town property taxes.
• Town of Middletown – On 177 parcels, DEP paid $462,280 in town property taxes.
• Town of Roxbury – On 208 parcels, DEP paid $391,587 in town property taxes.
• Town of Andes – On 188 parcels, DEP paid $374,587 in town property taxes.
• Town of Walton – On 71 parcels, DEP paid $80,161 in town property taxes.
• Town of Delhi – On 95 parcels, DEP paid $89,493 in town property taxes.
• Town of Bovina – On 50 parcels, DEP paid $65,201 in town property taxes.
• Town of Hamden – On 86 parcels, DEP paid $33,665 in town property taxes.
• Town of Kortright – On 59 parcels, DEP paid $32,039 in town property taxes.
• Town of Stamford – On 103 parcels, DEP paid $29,215 in town property taxes.
• Town of Meredith – On 42 parcels, DEP paid $22,279 in town property taxes.
• Town of Masonville – On 14 parcels, DEP paid $11,369 in town property taxes.
• Town of Franklin – On 18 parcels, DEP paid $10,524 in town property taxes.
• Town of Harpersfield – On 7 parcels, DEP paid $2,218 in town property taxes.
• Town of Hancock – On 1 parcel, DEP paid $740 in town property taxes.

Dutchess County

On 39 parcels, DEP paid $50,243 in county property taxes and $465,765 in school taxes.

• Town of East Fishkill – On 32 parcels, DEP paid $69,291 in town property taxes.
• Town of Wappinger – On 4 parcels, DEP paid $6,256 in town property taxes.
• Town of Beekman – On 1 parcel, DEP paid $1,555 in town property taxes.
• Town of Fishkill – On 2 parcels, DEP paid $982 in town property taxes.

Greene County

On 452 parcels, DEP paid $519,394 in county property taxes and $1,218,627 in school taxes.

• Town of Hunter – On 80 parcels, DEP paid $160,841 in town property taxes.
• Town of Windham – On 120 parcels, DEP paid $71,388 in town property taxes.
• Town of Jewett – On 66 parcels, DEP paid $61,333 in town property taxes.
• Town of Lexington – On 58 parcels, DEP paid $62,359 in town property taxes.
• Town of Prattsville – On 47 parcels, DEP paid $74,419 in town property taxes.
• Town of Ashland – On 54 parcels, DEP paid $54,462 in town property taxes.
• Town of Halcott – On 27 parcels, DEP paid $19,874 in town property taxes.

Sullivan County

On 131 parcels, DEP paid $4,545,463 in county property taxes and $11,110,872 in school taxes.

• Town of Neversink – On 117 parcels, DEP paid $3,660,455 in town property taxes.
• Town of Fallsburg – On 11 parcels, DEP paid $9,948 in town property taxes.
• Town of Rockland – On 3 parcels, DEP paid $1,371 in town property taxes.

Ulster County

On 556 parcels, DEP paid $4,023,772 in county property taxes and $18,150,709 in school taxes.

• Town of Wawarsing – On 80 parcels, DEP paid $2,623,151 in town property taxes.
• Town of Olive – On 142 parcels, DEP paid $1,961,298 in town property taxes.
• Town of Hurley – On 26 parcels, DEP paid $655,723 in town property taxes.
• Town of Shandaken – On 88 parcels, DEP paid $508,027 in town property taxes.
• Town of Marbletown – On 11 parcels, DEP paid $105,270 in town property taxes.
• Town of Woodstock – On 108 parcels, DEP paid $93,885 in town property taxes.
• City of Kingston – On 3 parcels, DEP paid $73,724 in city property taxes.
• Town of Denning – On 74 parcels, DEP paid $46,833 in town property taxes.
• Town of Shawangunk – On 1 parcel, DEP paid $6,800 in town property taxes.
• Town of Gardiner – On 1 parcel, DEP paid $2,041 in town property taxes.
• Town of New Paltz – On 2 parcels, DEP paid $6,798 in town property taxes.
• Town of Hardenburgh – On 15 parcels, DEP paid $7,790 in town property taxes.
• Town of Rochester – On 2 parcels, DEP paid $445 in town property taxes.
• Town of Plattekill – On 2 parcels, DEP paid $682 in town property taxes.
• Town of Kingston – On 1 parcel, DEP paid $1,045 in town property taxes.

Orange County

On 21 parcels, DEP paid $12,972 in county property taxes and $91,661 in school taxes.

• Town of New Windsor – On 4 parcels, DEP paid $14,265 in town property taxes.
• Town of Newburgh – On 10 parcels, DEP paid $7,905 in town property taxes.
• Town of Montgomery – On 5 parcels, DEP paid $1,676 in town property taxes.
• Town of Cornwall – On 2 parcels, DEP paid $550 in town property taxes.

Putnam County

On 486 parcels, DEP paid $2,046,350 in county property taxes and $17,457,522 in school taxes.

• Town of Carmel – On 130 parcels, DEP paid $2,079,152 in town property taxes.
• Town of Southeast – On 27 parcels, DEP paid $803,677 in town property taxes.
• Town of Kent – On 296 parcels, DEP paid $939,647 in town property taxes.
• Town of Putnam Valley – On 12 parcels, DEP paid $34,126 in town property taxes.
• Town of Philipstown – On 21 parcels, DEP paid $21,547 in town property taxes.

Schoharie County

On 100 parcels, DEP paid $2,729,013 in county property taxes and $3,372,293 in school taxes.

• Town of Gilboa – On 31 parcels, DEP paid $959,173 in town property taxes.
• Town of Conesville – On 61 parcels, DEP paid $49,009 in town property taxes.
• Town of Jefferson – On 8 parcels, DEP paid $9,502 in town property taxes.

Westchester County

On 502 parcels, DEP paid $7,191,811 in county property taxes and $41,389,530 in school taxes.

• Town of Mount Pleasant – On 39 parcels, DEP paid $5,412,513 in town property taxes.
• Town of North Castle – On 56 parcels, DEP paid $2,054,285 in town property taxes.
• Town of Cortlandt – On 29 parcels, DEP paid $1,365,205 in town property taxes.
• Town of North Salem – On 24 parcels, DEP paid $789,862 in town property taxes.
• Town of Yonkers, City – On 16 parcels, DEP paid $125,929 in town property taxes.
• Town of Bedford – On 37 parcels, DEP paid $547,209 in town property taxes.
• Town of Somers – On 21 parcels, DEP paid $283,320 in town property taxes.
• Town of Yorktown – On 180 parcels, DEP paid $162,171 in town property taxes.
• Town of Greenburgh – On 25 parcels, DEP paid $287,536 in town property taxes.
• Town of Lewisboro – On 28 parcels, DEP paid $113,331 in town property taxes.
• Town of Harrison – On 10 parcels, DEP paid $185,836 in town property taxes.
• Town of New Castle – On 31 parcels, DEP paid $55,047 in town property taxes.
• Town of Pound Ridge – On 3 parcels, DEP paid $5,865 in town property taxes.
• Town of Ossining – On 3 parcels, DEP paid $3,206 in town property taxes.

About the NYC Department of Environmental Protection

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.8 million in New York City and a million more in Westchester, Putnam, Orange, and Ulster counties. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP also protects the health and safety of New Yorkers by enforcing the Air and Noise Codes and asbestos rules. DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $31 billion in investments over the next 10 years. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter.