WHEREAS, on October 26, 2012, I issued Executive Order Number 47, declaring a disaster emergency in all 62 counties in the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, beginning on October 29, 2012, and continuing thereafter, Hurricane Sandy brought damaging winds and torrential rainfall, causing record flooding and severe storm surge throughout the State, severely devastating numerous counties, including Nassau County; and

WHEREAS, school district taxes for the 2012-2013 school year were due on or about November 10, 2012, in the school districts located within Nassau County; and

WHEREAS, Section 925-a of the Real Property Tax Law authorizes the Governor to retroactively 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 by up to twenty-one days from the final date such taxes are currently due; and

WHEREAS, as a result of ongoing disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy, certain school districts within Nassau, Orange and Rockland Counties requested an extension of the period for paying school district taxes otherwise due on or about, respectively, November 10, 2012, October 31, 2012, and November 5, 2012, and such extension was granted by Executive Order Number 70, issued on November 9, 2012, and Executive Order Number 74, issued on November 13, 2012; and

WHEREAS, requests for such an extension have been received by the Governor’s Office on behalf of the following school districts within Nassau County: (1) East Rockaway Union Free School District; (2) Merrick Union Free School District; and (3) Roosevelt Union Free School District; and

WHEREAS, given the difficulties continuing to confront the people of the aforementioned 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 retroactively extend the period for paying without interest or penalty the school district taxes that were due on or about November 10, 2012, in the aforementioned school districts within Nassau County for twenty-one days from the final date such taxes are currently due;

FURTHER, this Executive Order may be revised and amended to extend the period for paying school taxes for additional school districts within any counties adversely affected by Hurricane Sandy.