NORWICH – At least one town leader has welcomed Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard B. Decker’s New Year’s resolution to consider setting a countywide property assessment rate. Others, however, question the legality of the proposal and its potential burden on taxpayers.
The subject came up at the conclusion of Monday’s monthly meeting where legislators convened for a short, 26 minutes to kick off 2007. Town of Smyrna Supervisor James B. Bays said he was both “pleased and surprised” to hear the board would be investigating a countywide assessing function this year. The Democrat reminded the board that it had investigated doing so back in the late 1980s. “What prompted this (again) now?” he asked Decker.
The suggestion came after discussions with several supervisors who questioned their town’s assessments and equalization rates when compared to other municipalities in the county, Decker said.
“I’m neither for it nor against it,” the North Norwich Republican said.
The topic will be raised within the next few months at the Finance Committee level. Decker welcomed any municipal leaders who wanted to be a part of the discussion to attend Finance sessions at any time.
“The first step, obviously, is to analyze what we have now,” Committee Chairman Lawrence Wilcox, R-Oxford, said. Wilcox occasionally raised the subject of assessment inequalities during his first year as committee chair last year.
Town of Preston Supervisor Peter C. Flanagan said such a move “won’t necessarily cure our equalization problem” since the state sets those rates. Decker said if the county waits for the state to fix anything, “it’s fairly obvious it’ll never get corrected.” Only two counties in New York - Thompkins and Suffolk - have adopted countywide rates.
Town of Pharsalia Supervisor Dennis Brown asked Chenango’s attorney for clarification on the move. “Can the towns take themselves away from this responsibility?” he asked.
Municipalities cannot currently defer the task, Attorney Richard B. Breslin said. He agreed to look into whether legislative action would be required or whether existing home rule would be applicable.
When consulted later in the day yesterday, County Treasurer William E. Evans said a previous examination of the subject revealed that the change would have cost taxpayers more money for the “tremendous bureaucracy” involved in delivering the service at the county level.
“I don’t mind studying it again and taking a look at it, but I do feel we need to be very careful that we are not simply throwing money at a problem area that needs attention at the policy level within the towns,” he said.
Evans pointed to recent Help America Vote Act mandates that forced the county to assume municipal elections expenses this past year. While other federal requirements did figure in, elections cost Chenango’s municipalities an accumulative of only $55,000 in 2006. The pricetag now reads $250,000 at the county level, he said.
“Equalization rates are controlled by the state. They could still come in and make there own decision. It’ll cost a lot more money and may not solve the problem,” he said.
In other action taken Monday, Decker offered a resolution urging the state of New York to “properly” implement the Help America Vote Act. The resolution states that efforts of the state to comply with HAVA “have been nothing short of a disaster, and a disservice to the taxpayer.” Copies will be mailed to the governor, regional legislators and the New York State Association of Counties.
The board also approved a handful of state grant applications for the Sheriff’s Office as well $74,250 for economic development activities with little discussion. The week of Feb. 7-14 was proclaimed Sweetheart Week in recognition of Chenango County Habitat For Humanity. Proceeds from the sale of carnations during the week will go toward creating decent and affordable housing for those in need. Habitat for Chenango recently renovated a house located at 7 Adams St. in the City of Norwich.
Chenango County Medical Examiner Merrell E. Thallinger’s resignation was accepted. Alton B. Doyle, R-Guilford, said the physician’s services would be “a real loss to the county.” In addition, Decker said the Public Works Department would soon be losing four seasoned employees, all whom have more than 26 years of experience.
The following appointments made were: RC Woodford to administer county employees’ insurance plan; Dr. Warren Liddell as veterinarian advisor; Pershing Schlafer as farmer representative of the Agricultural & Farmland Protection Board; Richard Morris to the Airport Steering Committee; Dennis Brown to the Camp Pharsallia Citizen Resource Committee; Linda Natoli and David Law to the Capital Projects Improvement Committee for East & West Side Parks; Wayne Outwater as Chaplain of the Board; Peter Flanagan and Janice O’Shea to Chenango County Cooperative Extension; Sheriff Thomas J. Loughren on the Criminal Justice Advisory Board and as Director of Emergency Management; Joseph Coe as director of Veteran Services Agency; Art Manz on the Fish & Wildlife Board; Ross Iannello to the Senior Citizen’s Council; and Robert Briggs, Janice O’Shea and Stephen Perrin on the Soil & Water Conservation District Board.