The Issues:

Fair Assessments

The town board should support fair and accurate assessments.

In the revaluation data produced during last year's revaluation, a simple analysis reveals inconsistencies between neighborhoods. For example, the Stuyvesant Falls hamlet was assessed using early- to mid-2006 sales as comparables, when the market was still near its peak. Homes that sold during this period were assessed even above their 2006 sales prices, even though there were homes on the market in that neighborhood for far less than their assessed value (supposed 100% market value). Meanwhile, other neighborhoods were assessed based on mid-2008 sales data that reflected the downturn in the market.

The disrepancies were verified by calculating the value of the house in dollars per square foot. Add the lot value and the value of improvements such as porches or garages (this information is available on a parcel's inventory summary), subtract that number from the total assessed value, and divide by square feet of living area. In general, houses of similar style, age and upkeep should have similar dollar values per square foot.

When brought to the attention of the Town Council and the Assessor's Office, they declined to investigate these findings on behalf of all taxpayers. Instead, they left the burden of discovery and proof on each individual property owner.

Town Clerk's Office

The Town Clerk's actions and responsibilities should be based on the law and the needs of residents, not on any political agenda. The town should survey residents to determine what hours townspeople need the Town Clerk's office to be open. There should be a way to leave paperwork securely for the clerk (lock box) when the office or building are closed. The town clerk should have an individual e-mail address (as should each office and council member), and a specific phone line to leave messages that would be responded to within one business day. There should be a general phone line available for contacting anyone inside the building at all times. (During the December 2008 ice storm when the building served as a shelter, there was no way to access phones in an emergency.) Currently, all incoming calls are routed to the Town Clerk, and inaccessible if that office is closed.

Budget and Spending

Public oversight and transparency are effective ways to keep spending down and help people understand how their money is being spent.

Budget hearings should be scheduled so that the town council has an opportunity to consider input and make adjustments before voting. The current policy is to hold public hearings as a legal formality, and then vote on what they've already decided.

Budget amendments should be clear and accurate. The reason and complete description for a budget amendment should be available to town board members and meeting attendees prior to voting, and should become part of the available public record. The practice of summarizing each month's bills at the end of the meeting minutes should be resumed. The town budget should be reviewed quarterly, and results tracking spending against the budget should be available to the public.