County works toward streamlining assessment process
NORWICH – A group of lawmakers and town assessors met last week with an official from the New York State’s Real Property Tax office to discuss how to apply a $50,000 state grant.
The grant, developed at the behest of the Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, is intended to streamline the county’s property tax assessment and collection procedures. Government leaders, including the county’s treasurer and finance committee chairman, initially refused to accept it earlier this year, fearing that the state would eventually use the grant to usurp local authority.
Following the meeting, Treasurer William E. Evans said, “There really is no structured framework for using the grant. It seems to entertain a bottom-up approach from the grassroots, local level as opposed to what we had thought would be a state-down approach.”
“The interesting thing is the state is going to let us decide on this; it’s our decision where we want to go,” Chenango County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard B. Decker said.
For the past two years, Decker has suggested that more training for local assessors, more sharing of local assessors and better statistical data in the real property tax office would cut taxes. He said the group talked about creating consolidated assessing districts, called “caps,” where one assessor would work for three to four towns, depending on size.
Regarding the specific streamlining tactics to take, Evans said it was “premature” to suggest, saying he preferred to “wait for those discussions” at the committee level before commenting.
However, he said the county “shouldn’t have to administer something the towns are doing.”
“There are multiple levels of assessment across the county. We are looking for consistency throughout, but many towns are so busy just trying to accomplish all of the assessment tasks of their towns.”
Town of Sherburne Assessor Rochelle Harris said the meeting was “purely informational.” Harris said only two assessors were able to attend, however, because May is the month when assessments are reviewed and calculated.
Decker said the county’s assistant director of real property tax services would not spearhead the grant process. He said he had “someone in mind” who would voluntarily create the framework for using the grant. He suggested that the county would hire a consultant for about $6,500 “to do the technical part of it.”
Property taxes in New York State are among the highest in the nation, and the state is one of only three lacking assessment standards. Chenango County’s equalization rates have continued to decline over the past several years, forcing school and municipal taxes higher and higher.
The grant, developed at the behest of the Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, is intended to streamline the county’s property tax assessment and collection procedures. Government leaders, including the county’s treasurer and finance committee chairman, initially refused to accept it earlier this year, fearing that the state would eventually use the grant to usurp local authority.
Following the meeting, Treasurer William E. Evans said, “There really is no structured framework for using the grant. It seems to entertain a bottom-up approach from the grassroots, local level as opposed to what we had thought would be a state-down approach.”
“The interesting thing is the state is going to let us decide on this; it’s our decision where we want to go,” Chenango County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard B. Decker said.
For the past two years, Decker has suggested that more training for local assessors, more sharing of local assessors and better statistical data in the real property tax office would cut taxes. He said the group talked about creating consolidated assessing districts, called “caps,” where one assessor would work for three to four towns, depending on size.
Regarding the specific streamlining tactics to take, Evans said it was “premature” to suggest, saying he preferred to “wait for those discussions” at the committee level before commenting.
However, he said the county “shouldn’t have to administer something the towns are doing.”
“There are multiple levels of assessment across the county. We are looking for consistency throughout, but many towns are so busy just trying to accomplish all of the assessment tasks of their towns.”
Town of Sherburne Assessor Rochelle Harris said the meeting was “purely informational.” Harris said only two assessors were able to attend, however, because May is the month when assessments are reviewed and calculated.
Decker said the county’s assistant director of real property tax services would not spearhead the grant process. He said he had “someone in mind” who would voluntarily create the framework for using the grant. He suggested that the county would hire a consultant for about $6,500 “to do the technical part of it.”
Property taxes in New York State are among the highest in the nation, and the state is one of only three lacking assessment standards. Chenango County’s equalization rates have continued to decline over the past several years, forcing school and municipal taxes higher and higher.
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