NOTICE OF COMPLETION OF TENTATIVE
ASSESSMENT ROLL HEARING OF COMPLAINTS
Notice
is hereby given, pursuant to RPTL 506, 526 (1), 1526, that the Assessor of the Town of Rochester, County of Ulster, has completed
the Tentative Assessment Roll for the current year and that a copy is available in the Assessor's Office at the Town Hall,
where it may be examined by any interested person until the Fourth Tuesday of May.
The Assessor will be in attendance with the Tentative Assessment Roll on May 10,12, 17, 19 from 1 PM - 4 PM; Saturday,
May 14 by appointment; and May 10 17 from 5 PM to 7PM by appointment.
The Board of Assessment Review will meet on Tuesday May 24 from 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Town Hall in said Town,
to hear and examine all complaints in relation to assessments, on the application of any person believing himself/herself
to be aggrieved. Additional hours may be scheduled if necessary.
A publication, How to File a Complaint on Your Assessment, is available at the Assessor's Office.
Dated the 1st of May 2011 Cynthia Stokes Assessor Town of Rochester
Town of Rochester Annual Grievance
Day
The Board of Assessment Review of
the Town of Rochester will hold its annual Grievance Day on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 between the hours of 4:30 p.m. and 8:30
p.m. at Town Hall. If there is sufficient demand, we will schedule an adjournment for a subsequent day.
Town Assessor Cynthia Stokes will maintain an appointment schedule
for taxpayers, however, appointments are not required for the May 24th session of Grievance Day.
It is not necessary for taxpayers to present their complaints
in person. Completed complaint forms may be mailed to the Assessors Office, Town of Rochester, PO Box 65, Accord, NY
12404, however, correctly completed complaint forms must be received by the Assessors Office prior to 8:30 p.m. on May 24,
2011.
For more information, property owners
may contact the Assessor’s Office at 626-0920.
Dog license for 2011
As of January 1, 2011 NYS has turned over the entire licensing
process to the local municipalities. This means when you renew your dog license for 2011 you will receive a new Town dog tag
with a new license number and the State tag number will be phased out. In addition NYS has also created an Animal Population
Control Fund charging $ 1.00 for spayed and neutered dogs, and $ 3.00 for unspayed and unneutered dogs.
Please note: Spayed/ neutered dog charge
is now $ 4.00 per dog Unspayed/Unneutered dog charge is now $ 14.00 per dog Please
remember to replace your dog’s tag!
property owners exemption reminder
The Assessors Office for the Town of Rochester would like to
remind all property owners that the filing deadline for all exemptions is March 1, 2011. Property owners who are currently
receiving The Enhanced Star, Senior Citizen, Agricultural, Disability, and Wholly Exemption from property taxes, must file
their renewal form by March 1. All renewal applications will be mailed to property owners by early December. If a property
owner does not receive the application, they should contact the Assessor’s Office as soon as possible.
If a property owner is receiving the Basic Star Exemption they
do not need to file a renewal exemption. If a property owner will be 65 years of age by December 31, 2011, they may
be eligible for the Enhanced Star Exemption, and they should contact the Assessors Office before March 1. The income
level for Enhanced Star has also been raised to $ 79,050. If a property owner did not qualify in the past for the Enhanced
Star Exemption because of income, they may be eligible under the new income level and they should contact the Assessor’s
Office.
All property owners are eligible for the
Basic Star Exemption on their primary residence, regardless of age or income. If there are more than one primary residence
on a property, each owner is now eligible for the exemption if they are the owner of the property. In addition, if a
person owns a mobile home and the home is located on property owned by another person, they are eligible for the Star Exemption.
Any property owner who has served in the military at any time
and has been discharged from service may be eligible for a Veterans Exemption from Town or County taxes. The exemption would apply whether a property owner served during a wartime period as defined by law or not. Any property
owner who feels they may be eligible for the exemption should contact the Assessor’s Office.
If a property owner has questions about any exemptions and whether they are eligible,
they should contact the Assessor’s Office at 845-626-0920, prior to March 1, 2011.
Emerald Ash Borer beetles
ALBANY – In the wake of the discovery of invasive Emerald
Ash Borer beetles in the Catskill Forest Preserve, the state Department of Environmental Conservation Monday urged residents
and visitors to comply with the state’s regulations prohibiting the movement of untreated firewood, the major cause
of the introduction and spread of the insect.
New York firewood regulation
prohibits untreated firewood from entering the state, and restricts intra-state movement of untreated firewood to no more
than 50 miles from its source.
DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said
that restriction is important because Emerald Ash Borer and other damaging invasives like the Asian Longhorned Beetle and
Sirex Woodwasp are known to become established in new areas when infested firewood is moved from one place to another.
The Town Board for the Town of Rochester
has authorized the Assessor’s Office to review the Assessments
in the Town of Rochester for the 2011 Assessment Roll. The last review of values in the Town was for the 2006 Assessment Roll.
The review for the 2011 Roll will involve a physical exterior inspection of all properties in the town. By inspecting
every property, any inequities in assessments will be addressed and all properties will be fairly assessed. The Town
has entered into a contract with Valley Appraisal Services of Kingston to assist the town with the project. The town
will also receive assistance from the New York State Office of Real Property Services and the Ulster County Real Property
Tax Service Agency
The review of values
for the 2011 Assessment Roll is being done to help maintain the equity in the tax burden between property owners within Rochester,
and to help make sure that property owners in the town pay their fair share of taxes in relation to adjoining towns.
The purpose of the project is not to raise individual assessments in the town. The purpose of the project is to make
sure that the existing tax burden is distributed fairly among all property owners.
The most important factor that determines the market values of properties in the
town is the inventory for that property. All residential property owners should have received a notice in the mail in
late May with the inventory that has been collected for their property. All property owners are encouraged to review
the inventory the assessor’s office has on file for their property to make sure it is correct. Property owners should
make any corrections and return the form to the Assessors Office. Property owners are encouraged to review the information
on record for their property by stopping in the Assessor’s Office.
The Contractor and Assessor will be completing exterior inspections, from the public right-of-way,
of all properties in the town starting this summer through the end of the year. Property owners will not be required
to allow anyone in their homes. If a property owner would like to schedule an interior inspection, they should contact
the Assessors Office at 845-626-0920
All
property owners will receive a notice the beginning of March 2011 showing the new assessment. The notice will also show a
comparison of taxes property owners paid in 2010/2011 and the taxes they would have paid if the 2011 Assessment were in affect
for that year. All property owners will have the opportunity to meet with the assessor to review the information used to determine
their assessment, prior to the filing of the Tentative Roll on May 1, 2011
The town has scheduled public information meetings over the next couple of months
to discuss the purpose of the project. The public will have the opportunity to ask questions about the project. Representatives
of the contractor hired to work with the town on the project will be in attendance, along with the Assessor and representatives
from the state. The meetings will be held at the following locations and dates:
Saturday July 31 at the Town Hall at 50 Scenic Road at 10 AM
and
Thursday August 12 at the Alligerville
Firehouse at 4 Creek Road at 7 PM and Thursday August 26 at the Rochester 2 Firehouse at 922 Samsonsville Rd at
7 PM.
The Assessor’s Office has
information available regarding the Assessment Process and Re-valuations in general. If any property owner has any questions
regarding the 2011 Update or would like information regarding the assessment process, they should contact the Assessor’s
Office at 845-626-0920.
Town Seeking Volunteers
The Town Board is seeking volunteers for the following Boards and Commissions.
Anyone who would like to volunteer their time and expertise
to these valuable Boards and Commissions should contact the Town Supervisor's office at 626-3043 and send a letter of interest
to: Town Supervisor PO Box 65 Accord, NY 12404
Assessor Cindy
Stokes Assessor 626-0920 Animal
Control Jill Shufeldt Dog Control Officer
6265979 Code Enforcement Office Albert ("Jerry") Davis 626-2433
Emergency Management Gerry Fornino
Director 687-7328
Highway
Department Wayne Kelder Superintendent
626-7221
Planning and Zoning
Office Rebecca Paddock-Stange 626-2434
Supervisor's Office Carl
Chipman Supervisor 626-3043
Social Services Office Sue Mitchell
Social Services Officer 626-3043
Town Clerk / Tax Collector Kathleen A. Sergio
Town Clerk 626-7384
Town Justice Court Sonia H. Kortright Court Clerk
626-2522
Town Historian
Alice Schoonmaker Town Historian 626-7103
Transfer Station Wayne Kershaw
& Harry Worden Attendant 626-5273
