Brockport terminates role as assessing unit

Calling it taxation without representation, Trustee Carrie Maziarz voted against a resolution to dissolve the village's status as an assessing unit for real property tax purposes.

"This is a very significant change and I can't believe we are not researching some of the questions that have been raised," Maziarz said. "I'd like to see the village put programs in place and perhaps offer tax incentives to rental property owners for improvements they make to their homes. If we give our role as an assessing unit away we won't have that option."

Questions were raised among the board members on whether this was a political move to get a resolution passed before the elections took place on Tuesday, June 20.

"Let's call a spade a shovel," Mayor Mort Wexler said. "You want to wait until after the elections - you are making this an election issue."

Maziarz pointed out that in 2005, prior to elections, the mayor moved to table a motion to create a position of village manager until after the election. "The idea of giving up one of our rights is a much bigger issue," she said.

Resident Ray Duncan spoke at the public hearing and asked the board what the pros and cons of abolishing the assessor role was within the village.

"The village uses about 90 to 95 percent of the town's assessment roll now," Wexler said. "We will give up our autonomy but in all honestly, nearly all of our assessments are done through the town now. It's a duplication of services."

The code enforcement officer in the village was charged with being the village assessor but Wexler said that code enforcement comprises about 99.9 percent of Scott Zarnstorff's position.

Resident John Bush, who has spoken at every meeting since the village passed its budget, said the move will get the village a step closer to consolidation of services. "I think it's a good move," he said.

Realtor Rich Miller, who serves on the Board of Assessment Review in the Town of Sweden, said that the town has pretty much been the governing body for the village taxes for years.

Trustee David Wagenhauser wanted to know what will happen to the close to three dozen people who grieve their assessments with the village annually. "About 75 percent of those grieves were accepted - that means their assessments were reduced," he said. "We need to know how much money and how many village residents grieve Sweden assessments and what are the results."

Trustee Maria Castaneda, who raised the motion to terminate the assessor duties, said, "We will save money. We already virtually copy the tax rolls from the town," she said. "This will reduce the time our office staff spends on taxes - it's a duplication of services."

"The cost the village will realize is minimal," Wagenhauser said. "We don't have to worry about assessments for another year. I don't know why we are rushing this decision."

The motion was passed with Wexler, Castaneda and Trustee Mary Jo Nayman voting in favor of terminating the role and Maziarz and Wagenhauser voting against.

June 25, 2006