Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Assessment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County director, town assessor explain why Ancram trended property values and how residents can grieve them
Summary
Columbia County Real Property director Mark Taylor and Ancram assessor (Renee) told residents that trending adjusts assessed values after a prior revaluation and is driven by state equalization reports; residents were urged to file grievance forms and use county comparables online.
Supervisor Carol invited county and local assessment staff to explain a recent trending adjustment to property values and how that affects tax bills. Mark Taylor, director of the Columbia County Real Property Tax Service Agency, told the board that the assessment roll and the tax roll are separate: "The assessor makes the assessment role and I make the tax role, and I use the assessor's role to develop that tax role." He directed residents to the county's comparables on realproperty.columbiacountyny.com and said trending was prompted by the state's PDC report showing a fall in the town's equalization rate.
Residents pressed for details about large sales, outliers and renovations. Assessor Renee said truly anomalous sales are excluded from valuation and explained that large renovations are entered from building permits and a costing program; market sales may lag improvements. Renee encouraged property owners to attend grievance day (next Wednesday, 4–8 p.m.) and bring documentation. The board and county staff emphasized that the Board of Assessment Review is independent: "I make a recommendation, and sometimes I will say, I think this should be changed ... and they'll override me," the assessor said.
