Assessor wants reval to be “fair and equitable” for all
GREENE – Walk into the conference room outside assessor Gloria Micha’s second floor office and you’ll be greeted by a long table loaded with thick binders. In these volumes are the tax assessments of each one of the 3,180 parcels in the Town and Village of Greene. The former real estate broker is intimately acquainted with each, having spent the last year reassessing and revaluing every last one of them.
Micha has paid a lot of attention to acreage, square footage and additions, like garages and barns. But she isn’t concerned with who owns what or lives where.
“I don’t care,” she said, maintaining that everyone was treated the same in the revaluation. Her goal throughout the process has been to establish a “fair and equitable (property tax) roll for all” town and village property owners.
Recognizing that people are upset by the very idea of a reassessment, she has endeavored to make the process as transparent as possible and operated under the belief that the more people know, the less they will be upset.
To prove it, the assessor invites residents to come in and look up not only their own assessment, but those of their neighbors as well.
“I’m not hiding anything,” Micha said.
Her full disclosure philosophy extends to the information included in the revaluation notices to be sent out at the end of this month. With their reassessment, property owners will receive a copy of the land schedule she used, created from three years of closed sales. They will also get a list of comparable properties in the area which sold within that same time period.
The example she often uses, and hands out, is the actual comparable sales report of Town Supervisor Jack Cook. Despite the fact that the assessed value of his own home is increasing as a result of the revaluation, Cook is a staunch supporter of Micha’s efforts since she was appointed as sole appointed assessor for both municipalities.
The supervisor, who once served as town assessor himself, praised her work at February’s town board meeting. “She has been one busy assessor,” he said.
“It’s been a long process,” agreed Town Councilwoman Diane Flanagan. “She’s put in a lot of time.”
The revaluation was long over due. According to Micha, some properties had not been re-assessed in ten to twenty years. She started the process by sending out a property disclosure statement to each owner, asking them to verify square footage information, etc.
The new assessor was stunned when 95 percent of property owners completed and returned the form, and even more overwhelmed by how honest and open they were about improvements they had made over the years.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Micha. “It really helped me get an accurate data base.” From there, she put her extensive experience as an appraiser to work.
“Many people ask what are my qualifications,” said Micha. “After seeing my education and experience, they calm down.” And it’s no wonder they feel more comfortable once they learn she has more than twenty years of experience in real estate, ten of which was spent as a licensed, HUD-approved appraiser. She estimates that prior to taking on the role of assessor, she had conducted approximately 10,400 appraisals.
Another question Micha often gets is how the revaluation will affect the actual dollar amount people will pay in taxes. This is one she says she can’t answer.
“If I could, I’d be standing on a mountain wearing robes,” she laughed. When it comes down to how much people will pay, she explained, it depends on the budget. “I’m not the budget.”
What she will say, however, is that in the revaluation process fully 40 percent of parcels within the town and village saw a decrease in full value. “Those people will be really happy,” she said with a smile.
Why did so many see a drop in their home’s value? Because the low equalization rate had been inflating the market value. The lower the equalization rate, she explained, the “higher it pushes the value of your home.”
Greene would have seen an equalization rate of 51 percent this year without the revaluation.
“That means 50 percent (of property owners) weren’t paying their fair share,” she said. The other half were paying not only their own share, but their neighbor’s as well.
The goal of a revaluation, of course, is to get the assessment at 100 percent so that everyone is paying “their fair share,” Micha reported. And according to feedback she has received from the state Office of Real Property Services, the assessor said she is “right on the money.”
Revaluation notices will be in the mail by Feb. 28, said Micha. Once property owners receive the information, she encourages them to contact her with any questions or concerns.
“If there is anything wrong ... I’ll correct it,” the assessor said. In order for her to make adjustments, residents must contact her prior to April 18. After that, they will need to wait until Grievance Day on May 26, where their concerns will be heard by a five-person Grievance Board appointed by the Town Board.
Micha’s office hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. To schedule an appointment, contact her by calling 656-4192.
Sidebar: What is an equalization rate?
According to the New York State Office of Real Property Services website, an equalization rate is “the ratio of total assessed value to the municipality’s total market value. The municipality determines the AV; the MV is estimated by the state.”
An equalization rate of 100, therefor, means that property is being assessed at full market value. Less than 100, means market value is greater than assessed by the municipality.
Given a property with an assessed value of $60,000 at an equalization rate of 60 percent, the full value would calculate to $100,000 (60,000 divided by .60). If the equalization rate drops to 51 percent, full value would increase to $117,764.
With a 100 percent equalization rate, total value would equal the assessed value at $60,000.
What are the potential ramifications of a low equalization rate for taxpayers? According to ORPS, they include not only an inflation of home value, but also improper cost allocations for municipal services, skewed tax apportionment and exclusion from full benefits of School Tax Relief (STAR) exemptions.
Micha has paid a lot of attention to acreage, square footage and additions, like garages and barns. But she isn’t concerned with who owns what or lives where.
“I don’t care,” she said, maintaining that everyone was treated the same in the revaluation. Her goal throughout the process has been to establish a “fair and equitable (property tax) roll for all” town and village property owners.
Recognizing that people are upset by the very idea of a reassessment, she has endeavored to make the process as transparent as possible and operated under the belief that the more people know, the less they will be upset.
To prove it, the assessor invites residents to come in and look up not only their own assessment, but those of their neighbors as well.
“I’m not hiding anything,” Micha said.
Her full disclosure philosophy extends to the information included in the revaluation notices to be sent out at the end of this month. With their reassessment, property owners will receive a copy of the land schedule she used, created from three years of closed sales. They will also get a list of comparable properties in the area which sold within that same time period.
The example she often uses, and hands out, is the actual comparable sales report of Town Supervisor Jack Cook. Despite the fact that the assessed value of his own home is increasing as a result of the revaluation, Cook is a staunch supporter of Micha’s efforts since she was appointed as sole appointed assessor for both municipalities.
The supervisor, who once served as town assessor himself, praised her work at February’s town board meeting. “She has been one busy assessor,” he said.
“It’s been a long process,” agreed Town Councilwoman Diane Flanagan. “She’s put in a lot of time.”
The revaluation was long over due. According to Micha, some properties had not been re-assessed in ten to twenty years. She started the process by sending out a property disclosure statement to each owner, asking them to verify square footage information, etc.
The new assessor was stunned when 95 percent of property owners completed and returned the form, and even more overwhelmed by how honest and open they were about improvements they had made over the years.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Micha. “It really helped me get an accurate data base.” From there, she put her extensive experience as an appraiser to work.
“Many people ask what are my qualifications,” said Micha. “After seeing my education and experience, they calm down.” And it’s no wonder they feel more comfortable once they learn she has more than twenty years of experience in real estate, ten of which was spent as a licensed, HUD-approved appraiser. She estimates that prior to taking on the role of assessor, she had conducted approximately 10,400 appraisals.
Another question Micha often gets is how the revaluation will affect the actual dollar amount people will pay in taxes. This is one she says she can’t answer.
“If I could, I’d be standing on a mountain wearing robes,” she laughed. When it comes down to how much people will pay, she explained, it depends on the budget. “I’m not the budget.”
What she will say, however, is that in the revaluation process fully 40 percent of parcels within the town and village saw a decrease in full value. “Those people will be really happy,” she said with a smile.
Why did so many see a drop in their home’s value? Because the low equalization rate had been inflating the market value. The lower the equalization rate, she explained, the “higher it pushes the value of your home.”
Greene would have seen an equalization rate of 51 percent this year without the revaluation.
“That means 50 percent (of property owners) weren’t paying their fair share,” she said. The other half were paying not only their own share, but their neighbor’s as well.
The goal of a revaluation, of course, is to get the assessment at 100 percent so that everyone is paying “their fair share,” Micha reported. And according to feedback she has received from the state Office of Real Property Services, the assessor said she is “right on the money.”
Revaluation notices will be in the mail by Feb. 28, said Micha. Once property owners receive the information, she encourages them to contact her with any questions or concerns.
“If there is anything wrong ... I’ll correct it,” the assessor said. In order for her to make adjustments, residents must contact her prior to April 18. After that, they will need to wait until Grievance Day on May 26, where their concerns will be heard by a five-person Grievance Board appointed by the Town Board.
Micha’s office hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. To schedule an appointment, contact her by calling 656-4192.
Sidebar: What is an equalization rate?
According to the New York State Office of Real Property Services website, an equalization rate is “the ratio of total assessed value to the municipality’s total market value. The municipality determines the AV; the MV is estimated by the state.”
An equalization rate of 100, therefor, means that property is being assessed at full market value. Less than 100, means market value is greater than assessed by the municipality.
Given a property with an assessed value of $60,000 at an equalization rate of 60 percent, the full value would calculate to $100,000 (60,000 divided by .60). If the equalization rate drops to 51 percent, full value would increase to $117,764.
With a 100 percent equalization rate, total value would equal the assessed value at $60,000.
What are the potential ramifications of a low equalization rate for taxpayers? According to ORPS, they include not only an inflation of home value, but also improper cost allocations for municipal services, skewed tax apportionment and exclusion from full benefits of School Tax Relief (STAR) exemptions.
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