Syracuse Board of Assessment Review hears appeals over steep reassessments; two petitions dismissed

Syracuse's Board of Assessment Review heard more than a dozen property appeals and one nonprofit exemption request at its Feb. 18 session, as homeowners and rental-property owners pressed for reductions to 2025 tentative assessed values and asked the board to weigh purchase prices, condition photos and local comparables.

Board Chair Joe Seia opened the meeting by reminding attendees that "these meetings are recorded, audio and videotaped, and they are, you can see it live on YouTube," and then the board took sworn testimony from petitioners representing single-family homes, rental properties and a church seeking a tax exemption.

The board heard repeated testimony that indicated values rose sharply this year after the city's equalization rate dropped. "When our equalization rate goes down, the indicated value of the property increases," Michael, the assessor for the area, told petitioners, explaining the math behind many of the increases owners were contesting.

Why it matters

Petitioners said the new indicated full-market values are often much higher than recent purchase prices and that sudden single-year jumps are difficult for homeowners and small landlords to absorb. Several petitioners asked the board to accept photos showing interior or structural problems, cited recent purchase prices or mortgage figures and asked for either a lower reassessment or a phase-in of any…