Islanders blast Clayton reassessment

CLAYTON — Islanders and waterfront property owners are treated as "cash cows" who are being asked to pay more for services than other town residents, members of the Clayton Taxpayers Group allege.

"As individual property or as a targeted group of properties, aka 'an island,' we are paying more than our fair share, yet want only to be assessed equitably," said William L. Salisbury, head of the group.

Mr. Salisbury said the group has put together a spreadsheet of the newly assessed values of town properties that shows inland taxes have decreased by up to 27 percent while island and waterfront properties increased dramatically.

"The reassessment was not done in accordance with accepted professional standards," said Steven Wallach, an attorney living in New Jersey.

Mr. Wallach said island cottages and other structures were valued without obtaining necessary information, including square footage, age of the structure, number of bathrooms or the condition of septic systems.

Mr. Wallach, who owns a cottage on Grenell Island, said it was unfair islanders had to pay more taxes while they weren't even getting the basic municipal services available to residents living on the mainland, such as maintenance of the roads or sewer and water systems.

When Mr. Wallach received his 2008 assessment notification this winter, it indicated that the approximate tax liabilities would be the same as 2007 despite increases in assessed value.

"My notice indicated no change in taxes despite a 30 percent increase in assessed value," he said. "Not surprisingly, using the rates provided by the town supervisor, my taxes will increase approximately 30 percent."

Mr. Wallach said the town should send out a "corrected notification," extend the period to file grievances or roll back the assessments to that of 2007.

"We have been told by our attorney and the New York State Real Property Tax Services that rolling back the assessments would not be a lawful option," said town Supervisor Justin A. Taylor.

A letter addressed to Mr. Taylor from the New York State Office of Real Property Services states that the town has no legal authority to make changes to the assessment entries after the tentative roll was filed May 1.

"Town of Webb did just that, and the town of Cicero as recently as May 23," Mr. Salisbury said.

In Cicero, however, the town assessor agreed to roll back the assessments at the request of the Town Council. The council in Cicero had no authority to unilaterally make the move.

Supervisor Taylor said there is a "significant difference" between the town of Cicero's and the town of Clayton's assessments.

"Cicero only looked at 1,700 parcels," he said. "In our case, we looked at all of our parcels."

Mr. Salisbury said the Clayton Taxpayers Group also is contacting state lawmakers to promote a centralized reassessment system coordinated by the state.

"The province of Ontario in 2005 removed the burden of assessment from municipalities altogether, creating a uniformly fair and equal process that all property owners in Ontario seem pleased with," Mr. Salisbury said.

"Canadian taxpayers and municipalities are both relieved and unlitigated as a result of this, saving huge taxpayer dollars in the process."

The group will hold its second public meeting at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Knights of Columbus Hall on James Street.