Reassessment and the egregious Condominium Law

[mark blazejewski]

Which elected Lancaster officials approved the great tax savings for patio homes? For the Blackstone mansions that are listed as patio homes? Did Ron Ruffino get a second or third opinion on the Colecraft snafu? Remember the one that the comptroller audit said wasted millions ? How about a second or third opinion on the south Lancaster maybe park? Short stuff is correct about Ron Ruffino never passing up a photo OP. I laugh at his sudden conversion to conservatism. It reminds me of Ernst Angley, Jimmy Swaggart,or Jim Baker.

Ah, Councilman Ruffino, the living embodiment of ego and hypocrisy.

And such an actor!

Remember last year's nine or ten month ZBA fandango? Quite a magic show, when he pulled a politically opportunistic rabbit out of his illusory conservative hat.

Kind of like watching the Great Houdini in another dramatic moment.

[grump]

Sorry Grump, my bad. I re-listened to the town website recording which is clearer than the Speakup recording I listened to last night.

Ruffino declared he was disappointed when he received his packet and found that there was only one bid on the project. He did not mention another firm but stated, “Whose to say that we couldn’t get this done for $175,000.

Lee, no need to apologize. I was just curious but it sounds like no one else wanted to submit a proposal. Could the RFP have contained some type of poison pill, either deliberately or accidentally? Any reason why people wouldn’t want to do business with the town?

[gorja]

Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
Ruffino declared he was disappointed when he received his packet and found that there was only one bid on the project. He did not mention another firm but stated, “Whose to say that we couldn’t get this done for $175,000.

Lee, do you have any idea how it could be possible to do a whole town reval for $175,000?
Looking at this article https://www.speakupwny.com/article_3940.shtml regarding the 2010 reval process of only residential properties OUTSIDE the villages, it was $13 per parcel for an amount not to exceed $123,500.

I think the following table includes parcels from the villages

2009 Annual Assessment Rolls
2009 Parcel Counts by Broad Use Category
Town of Lancaster

Broad Use
Category Description Parcel Count
100 Agricultural Properties 20
200 Residential Properties 13,979
300 Vacant Land 3,211
400 Commercial Properties 684
500 Recreation and Entertainment Properties 45
600 Community Service Properties 149
700 Industrial Properties 123
800 Public Service Properties 157
900 Public Parks, Wild, Forested and Conservation Properties 5
Total Parcels in All Broad Use Categories 18,373

[Lee Chowaniec]

Grump / Gorga

To begin with, what is the scope of the project? Is it a Townwide re-assessment project that includes all residential and commercial properties?

How many parcels will be appraised?

What is the role that GAR would play in assisting the town to appraise properties – which properties; how many? What are we paying GAR $282,000 to do? The language of the resolution encompassed none of the aforementioned.

It appears Ruffino was willing to sponsor a resolution to approve a reassessment (reval), did not write the language of the resolution, and when it was presented to him decided to withdraw his sponsorship based on the fact that there were no competitive bids (as did happen in the 2010 reval). No, you don’t need RFP’s for professional services but that has been the process in past town revals and does justify spending those kinds of funds.

Ruffino was not out of line. It is doubtful that a reval cost could come in at $175,000 but unless we know the scope of the project is and what services assisting agency is going to provide, the written resolution was poorly defined and useless in content.

[grump]

Well, it’s nice that they communicate so well. RFP’s aren’t required but a town is supposed to have a purchasing policy in place in addition to competitive bids.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Well, it’s nice that they communicate so well. RFP’s aren’t required but a town is supposed to have a purchasing policy in place in addition to competitive bids.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out as this was a major clusterf**k.

"The Town used GAR‘s appraisal service in 2005 but it seems they didn’t really look at all the residential parcels." This was former assessor Dave Marrano in 2009 speaking in regards to GAR’s 2005 Lancaster appraisal.

“Marrano replied that well over $200,000 was spent in 2005 for the work done by another appraisal firm.”

“Marrano retorted that to do the process properly you need to look at every single property. “I will tell you unequivocally, and the people who worked on the staff the last time as well, that the contractor we hired did not. If you don’t look at every property, you’re going to have some bad numbers, as was the case the last time.”

Part of the resolution in 2009

WHEREAS, Town Assessor David Marrano disseminated Requests for Proposals to retain professional services, and

WHEREAS, the Town has received and reviewed various responses to the Request for Proposals and the Town Assessor David Marrano together with his staff have interviewed various professional consultants.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Emminger, Hyatt, Newton and Pigeon Inc. led by partners Joseph Emminger and Roger Pigeon be hired by the Town in connection with its 2010 Assessment equity project subject to an anticipated contract setting forth the professional services provided at a cost not to exceed $123,500.

So in 2010, the town used Emminger, Hyatt, Newton and Pigeon (EHNP) appraising only residential properties in the town outside of villages @ $13 per parcel.

For the 2020 reval – How extensive is this appraisal? Is it just residential? Is it just in the town outside villages? What is the $282,000 for?

[gorja]

Thanks Lee. I'm a proponent for a reval but am an opponent to wasteful spending.
Hopefully, they'll reach out with RFPs to other appraisal companies and include details
of the responsibilities of the appraisal company for the compensation that they are receiving

[Dan Roman]

Thanks Lee. I'm a proponent for a reval but am an opponent to wasteful spending.
Hopefully, they'll reach out with RFPs to other appraisal companies and include details
of the responsibilities of the appraisal company for the compensation that they are receiving

Speaking of wasteful spending, why do towns have assessors and office staff if they don’t assess anything anymore? If their only purpose in life is to collect paperwork from senior citizens to get STAR exemptions and farm out the actual assessing work then can’t towns save a boatload of money by just eliminating this useless position and office and combine with their clerks office?

[grump]

Dan, I think that’s it state law that there be an assessor and the assessor gets a longer term than board members to provide some political insulation. Also, new properties come on the roll between revals, there are challenges to assessments, the tax roll has to be prepared every year etc. That said, municipalities are free to share an assessor if they can agree to do so. I believe Amherst shares but I could be wrong.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Dan, I think that’s it state law that there be an assessor and the assessor gets a longer term than board members to provide some political insulation. Also, new properties come on the roll between revals, there are challenges to assessments, the tax roll has to be prepared every year etc. That said, municipalities are free to share an assessor if they can agree to do so. I believe Amherst shares but I could be wrong.

Some municipalities do share assessors. Lancaster and Clarence share Rebecca Baker's services.

[gorja]

Some municipalities do share assessors. Lancaster and Clarence share Rebecca Baker's services.

Sorry, Lee. We haven't shared since Fusco retired

[Lee Chowaniec]

Sorry, Lee. We haven't shared since Fusco retired

Thank you. I didn't realize that municipal sharing of services ended with the retirement of Fusco.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Sorry, Lee. We haven't shared since Fusco retired

Thank you Gorga for providing me with the following information:

WHEREAS, Supervisor Dino Fudoli, by letter dated September 2, 2015, has recommended the appointment of Rebecca Baker to the position of Assessor, to fill the vacancy due to the retirement of Christine Fusco effective October 1, 2015; and

WHEREAS, the Town Board has determined that Rebecca Baker is qualified under the laws of New York State to serve as a town assessor, and wishes to appoint Ms. Baker as Assessor; and

WHEREAS, the Town and Ms. Baker have agreed on the terms and conditions associated with Ms. Baker’s appointment as Assessor,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, AS FOLLOWS:

1. Rebecca Baker is hereby appointed as Assessor for the Town of Lancaster, effective October 1, 2015, and such appointment shall terminate on September 30, 2019 as specified by New York State Law.

2. Ms. Baker shall be paid at a salary of $50,000 annually while serving as Assessor.

3. The Supervisor is hereby authorized and directed to execute an employment agreement with Ms. Baker, in substantially the form presented, upon final review and approval by the Town’s legal counsel.


Here's a Bee article

https://www.lancasterbee.com/news/20..._assessor.html

Speakup Thread

ttps://www.speakupwny.com/forums/showthread.php/880983-No-more-shared-assessor

I had my second knee replacement (within four months) and was absent from meetings for a period of time. Because Ms. Baker works part time and not always present in office I didn’t put the two together.

That said, the current Assessment staff is comprised of the part time Assessor, a Real Property Appraiser and a Clerk/Typist. This could well explain the need to spend $282,000 for outside appraiser services. However, until the scope of the project is revealed and what roll an outside agency will play, the resolution presented was futile.

[Lee Chowaniec]

https://www.speakupwny.com/forums/sh...hared-assessor

Post 43 hyperlink

[shortstuff]

Speaking of wasteful spending, why do towns have assessors and office staff if they don’t assess anything anymore? If their only purpose in life is to collect paperwork from senior citizens to get STAR exemptions and farm out the actual assessing work then can’t towns save a boatload of money by just eliminating this useless position and office and combine with their clerks office?

Excellent idea, I remember when Dave Marrano was the Town Assessor, his proposal was to make a full time position into a part time position, I believe he was given a NO on that.

Since the clerk's office has a s**t load of staff, they could consolidate the departments with a fairly nice savings to the taxpayers. We do not need redundancy of services.