Poloncarz Property Reassessment

[Arthur Dietrich]

As reported in todays Buffalo News Erie County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz is now urging that the County eliminate all local property assessment offices and have the County take over the process. Under his plan the County would hire their own assessors or contract with a private company to reassess a third of the properties every year. I can't even imagine the added revenue the County would receive from the Poloncarz idea. Why does this idea make parts of my body quiver?

[keyboard150]

As reported in todays Buffalo News Erie County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz is now urging that the County eliminate all local property assessment offices and have the County take over the process. Under his plan the County would hire their own assessors or contract with a private company to reassess a third of the properties every year. I can't even imagine the added revenue the County would receive from the Poloncarz idea. Why does this idea make parts of my body quiver?

Think big picture, if I'm reading that right, it will eliminate all the town, village, and city assessors.

That's a lot of people.
In return, the county takes over the process, probably with the ability to do it with fewer people.
In theory, it would save money. It's a regionalism idea. The question is, what further information is there on this to make a sound conclusion from?

[cookie]

On the surface, it seems like a good idea to me. The thing I like about the idea that I don't like about how it's done now is this- I think the assessments are more likely to be based on value rather than a need for a town or village to plug holes in their budget. Hopefully they would be more uniform and fairer to all.

I'd like to see more facts laid out on this one first though.

[Linda_D]

This seems like a reasonable step toward regionalism. I think it's a good move because it would provide a service that all the municipalities need and that requires considerable expertise at a reasonable cost rather than trying to concentrate power into the hands of fewer and fewer people, which are the hallmarks of Gaughan's and Giambra's plans.

I think that most of the towns in Erie County have at least 1 assessor, and some of the bigger ones and the cities probably have more. I think that many, if not most, are elected, and the others are appointed, so this can open the door to a lot of favoritism. Moreover, it's not necessary that these assessors would lose their jobs; they could just be transferred to the county. Any plan like this should also include the COB because if you're going to have "regionalism", then it has to include everybody in the county, not just some.

As for hiring a private firm, I think that the county should hire a private firm from outside the area for an initial county-wide reval because what Assessor A in Town B thinks is a $110,000 house might be a $150,000 house in the eyes of Assessor C in Town D. Some assessors use a very specific formula while others are more "instinct". An initial county-wide reval would establish a "base" for properties based on age, square footage, condition, lot-size, neighborhood comparables, etc. It would also eliminate the age-old and totally unfair practices used in many municipalities to determined assessed evaluations. For example, the COB has been infamous for under-valuing properties in upscale neighborhoods to compensate those homeowners because "they people send their kids to private schools".

[Comet]

The question is, what further information is there on this to make a sound conclusion from?

This is a reform idea which really makes a ton of sense and which is woefully OVERDUE. It will be the entrenched dinosaurs who rebuke it.

Here's a starting point.

http://www.orps.state.ny.us/pamphlet/coassessing.htm

[Incognito]

I hope Polancarz comes out with a study that shows we don't need 300 school districts.

[Comet]

I hope Polancarz comes out with a study that shows we don't need 300 school districts.

That would not be within his jurisdiction or purview... That's a state senate, gov or assembly audience you need to convince.

[gshowell]

Poloncarz's study illustrates what numbskulls like me have been saying for years. There's too much government in WNY.

[sneakers77]

This seems like a reasonable step toward regionalism. I think it's a good move because it would provide a service that all the municipalities need and that requires considerable expertise at a reasonable cost rather than trying to concentrate power into the hands of fewer and fewer people, which are the hallmarks of Gaughan's and Giambra's plans.

If I'm not mistaken, this was a Giambra idea years ago. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

It just never got any support from the towns.

[Comet]

From the State's Office of Real Property Services page

Benefits of County Assessing

• County assessing eliminates tax shifts resulting from changing equalization rates within the county.
• Assessment equity may improve as a result of more regionalized data, analyses, and market monitoring.
• With county assessing, individual municipalities and school districts would no longer be the focus of scrutiny regarding reassessments.
• Taxpayers would likely have more confidence in the tax system if they could see that its administration was highly professional, efficient, and equitable.
• In rural areas, where municipalities are thinly populated, county assessing would result in sufficient pooling of resources to attract or maintain highly qualified and competent assessment officials at a potentially lower per-parcel cost.
• In urban/suburban areas with large cities and large prosperous towns, interactions between assessing offices and the departments responsible for planning, zoning, highway maintenance, E- 911 and other functions could be improved and expanded.
• Counties, which have larger stakes in tax certiorari cases, typically would have greater resources with which to defend assessments.
• County assessing would permit increased specialization of assessing staff in regard to specific types of properties, including utilities, industrial properties and complex commercial properties.
• Assessing staff and resources could be reallocated to respond to emergencies or other events that require coordination across municipal boundaries.
• The number of entities with which utilities and other owners of widely distributed property must deal would be greatly reduced.

[Cgoodsp466]

Think big picture, if I'm reading that right, it will eliminate all the town, village, and city assessors.

That's a lot of people.
In return, the county takes over the process, probably with the ability to do it with fewer people.
In theory, it would save money. It's a regionalism idea. The question is, what further information is there on this to make a sound conclusion from?

Hey as long as we are throwing these clowns over board what difference does it make. Dont call these evile bastards people,they have hurt more then they have helped.

[sneakers77]

Hey as long as we are throwing these clowns over board what difference does it make. Dont call these evile bastards people,they have hurt more then they have helped.

Absolutey..........like those damn assessors that help seniors out in their town and take the time to talk about star rebates and exemptions. And the assessors that explain to veterans about what tax exemptions they are entitled to. Yea, I would throw those people off first......................

[Cgoodsp466]

Absolutey..........like those damn assessors that help seniors out in their town and take the time to talk about star rebates and exemptions. And the assessors that explain to veterans about what tax exemptions they are entitled to. Yea, I would throw those people off first......................

A monkey can do that. How about the assessor who tells the senior pay your friggin tax or get the hell out.Or Cat food tastes like tuna.The last assessor I had words with I said get the hell off my property or I will knock you in the middle of next week.Yes those clowns. Are you an Assessor or just an ass.

[Enough]

1st, a county-wide assessment system could benefit when it comes to Towns using assessments to "fudge" tax increases. It's always nice to hear the Politicians say, "we didn't raise taxes this year", when they just reassessed you an extra $70,000.!!!!!!!!

2nd, good luck on any immediate tax savings. These idiots will absorb all the individual assessment offices and tell us they will reduce through attrition. Politicians don’t layoff loyal supporters!!!!!!

[Enough]

Absolutey..........like those damn assessors that help seniors out in their town and take the time to talk about star rebates and exemptions. And the assessors that explain to veterans about what tax exemptions they are entitled to. Yea, I would throw those people off first......................

You're kidding, right???

Is there a department that will wipe my ........ oh, forget it!!!!!!