Published: October 30, 2009 10:50 pm      

NORTH TONAWANDA: Candidates argue over assessment promise

Mayor Larry Soos Friday issued a press release disputing the significance of mayoral challenger Rob Ortt’s campaign promise Wednesday that if elected he would freeze reassessments for a three year period.

“The City is involved with the triennial reassessment program that was proposed by the City Assessor, Flora Carozzolo, so what Rob is allegedly proposing is implemented already," stated a section of Soos’ message.

Ortt pointed out that even though the current plan only happens every three years anyway, if he were elected it would delay an assessment in 2011 to 2013. After that, he said it’s possible he would explore asking the council to go back to the old system or sticking with the new, depending on the economic climate in the city and throughout the country.

The recent citywide revaluation was completed in 2008, part of a new scheme passed by the Common Council in 2007 to adjust home values so they’re current with sale prices once every three years. At the time, Assessor Flora Carozzolo said it would help the city stop “playing catch up.”

Another view by voting council members at the time was that it would alleviate residents’ ire under the old scheme, whereby a third of city properties would be reassessed each year resulting in citywide discrepancies that could make many residents feel cheated from year to year.

But Ortt said when done every three years, assessments could fall too far behind sale prices by the end of the period and the city could miss out on a state incentive for accurate assessments.

Soos countered the incentives are paid based on the number of parcels reassessed, meaning whether assessments were conducted once a year or every three years, the money due the city is the same. He said that’s the case as long as the city maintains 95 percent of full value on those properties, something full value assessments were designed to achieve.

Ortt, most importantly, stressed the timing of assessments was inconvenient to residents amid the nation’s fiscal meltdown. Though he acknowledged officials including himself as Clerk-Treasurer couldn’t have known the bottom would drop out, he said this year’s $1.6 million tax levy also promotes irresponsible budgeting but infusing quick cash in lieu of tougher, more sustainable decisions like cutting the budget here and there.

To be fair, Soos’ 2010 plan relies on elimination of several city positions but it’s the current year’s plan he thinks should have done more along the same lines.

During Wednesday’s debate, Ortt had referred to the new assessments and resulting revenue a “shell game.”

Soos had called Ortt’s proposed freeze a “time bomb,” mainly because Carozzolo has said homes here are still sometimes selling for more than the higher assessments, and over time, the discrepancies could increase.

He also pointed out the council in 2007 has passed the measure resulting in the latest reassessments based on talks with Carozzolo, not his staff.

Carozzolo could not be reached Friday for her opinion.

Contact reporter Neale Gulley at 693-1000, ext. 114.