WHEREAS, beginning on August 27, 2011 and continuing thereafter, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee brought torrential rainfall causing record flooding and storm surge throughout the State of New York;

WHEREAS, on September 19, 2011, as a result of the personal hardships cuased by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, I issued Executive Order No. 23, extending the period for paying without interest or penalty the real property taxes that are due on or about September 30, 2011 in certain school districts in the counties of Broome, Delaware, Essex, Greene, Hamilton, Orange, Schoharie, Tioga, Ulster and Washington;

WHEREAS, since September 19, 2011, additional requests for an extension of the period of paying school district taxes for 2011-2012 school year have been received by the Governor's Office on behalf of the following school districts within the below-listed counties: Broome: Harpursville Central School District, Maine-Endwell Central School District, Whitney Point Central School District and Windsor Central School District; Delaware: Margaretville Central School District and Otego-Unadilla Central School District; Essex: Ausable Valley Central School District; Greene: Cairo-Durham Central School District and Windham-Ashland-Jewett Central School District; Montgomery: Fonda-Fultonville Central School District and Fort Plain Central School District; Orange: Florida Union Free School District, Highland Falls – Fort Montgomery Central School District, Tuxedo Central School District and Monroe-Woodbury Central School District; Schenectady: Duanesburg Central School District and Schalmont Central School District; Schoharie: Gilboa-Conesville Central School District and Middleburgh Central School District; Sullivan: Fallsburg Central School District, Monticello Central School District and Sullivan-West Central School District; Tioga: Newark Valley Central School District, Owego-Apalachin Central School District and Tioga Central School District; Ulster: Ellenville Central School District, Highland Central School District, Rondout Valley Central School District and Walkill Central School District; and Washington: Salem Central School District;

WHEREAS, school district taxes for the 2011-2012 school year are currently due on or about September 30, 2011 in the aforementioned school districts;

WHEREAS, section 925-a of the Real Property Tax Law authorizes the Governor to extend the period for paying such taxes without interest or penalty upon request of the chief executive officer of an affected county, city, town, village or school district during a State disaster emergency;

WHEREAS, given the difficulties continuing to confront the people of the afore-mentioned counties, such an extension is eminently warranted;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by section 925-a of the Real Property Tax Law, do hereby extend the period for paying without interest or penalty the school district taxes that are due on or about September 30, 2011 in the afore-mentioned school districts within the above listed counties for twenty-one days from the final date such taxes are currently due; and

FURTHER, this Executive Order may be revised and amended to extend the period for paying school taxes for school districts within the counties adversely affected by Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee.