MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Lawmakers are holding a special meeting this evening to get a request to the state Legislature in time to create a property tax exemption in Montgomery County.

The county Board of Supervisors is scheduled to review a resolution asking state legislators to amend the state’s Real Property Tax Law and provide an exemption for anyone who builds a home within the county.

Assemblyman George Amedore, R-Rotterdam, and Sen. Hugh Farley, R-Niskayuna, earlier this year drafted bills at the county board’s request, and the special meeting is needed in order to get the law passed this legislative session.

Similar exemptions are available in the city of Amsterdam and in the Greater Amsterdam School District, Amsterdam 5th Ward Supervisor Karl Baia said.

According to the Amsterdam City Assessor’s Office, a total of seven people have signed up for the exemption within the city of Amsterdam so far.

Spreading the exemption throughout the county might prompt more people to look into building their homes in Montgomery County, Baia said.

“The idea is to add to the tax base and when you add to the tax base you spread costs out over a larger amount of people which, in the long run, decreases the cost for everyone,” Baia said.

The exemption in effect in the city and the school district cuts property taxes in half for the first year for those who build homes costing more than $70,000.

That exemption is reduced in increments of 5 percent each year, so participants would be exempted from 45 percent of property taxes for the second year, 40 percent the third year and so on, until the reduction is 5 percent in year 10.

After, the property owner would be responsible for 100 percent of the property taxes.

Another requirement in the law is that the construction be for the residence of the homeowner receiving the exemption.

The exemption is not supported by all supervisors, though. Palatine Supervisor Sieds Jonker said he doesn’t believe an exemption is necessary.

“Where do we stop giving tax breaks to people? We have people building in our town and they’re doing it regardless,” Jonker said.

Jonker said he believes people are motivated to build in Montgomery County because of its scenery and rural nature.

“I think they will build whether we add that incentive or not. Quite frankly, it’s kind of foolishness, I think, to give them that kind of break,” Jonker said.

The special meeting was scheduled in order to get the request to the state Legislature before the current session ends, Baia said. Otherwise, the idea would have to wait another year, he said.

The county Board of Supervisors is scheduled to meet at 6:55 p.m. in the county building on Broadway in Fonda.