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Resident asks county to hold public hearing on tax‑penalty waiver, citing blindness and accessibility failures
Summary
At the legislature's public‑comment period, Trumansburg resident Bruce Babcock invoked Real Property Tax Law §11.82 to request a public hearing and vote on waiving penalties he says accrued after municipalities failed to provide documents in an accessible format. He said he plans to pursue a vote before considering federal court.
Bruce Babcock of Trumansburg used the legislature's public comment slot to ask the body to authorize a public hearing and vote under Real Property Tax Law §11.82 to consider waiving penalties and late fees tied to rejected tax payments. Babcock said the basis for his request is his blindness and the county and municipalities' failure to provide tax materials in accessible formats; he also said the municipality did not acknowledge receipt of a returned check.
"I am totally blind," Babcock said, describing repeated administrative problems that led to returned checks and late fees. He said the amount at issue was "not very much money" (just over $100), but framed his request as a matter of principle and said he intended to press for a vote before going to federal court. County staff and legislators directed him to the finance department and explained a process involving a form from finance and possible consultation with local municipalities for local taxes.
