Town Council fires assessor

GOUVERNEUR — The Town Council fired suspended Assessor Dale L. Raymo at a special meeting Thursday, following receipt of a hearing officer's decision recommending his removal from office.

Frederick S. Morrill determined Mr. Raymo's assessment methods were inconsistent, that he filed retaliatory assessments on properties owned by the members of one family and his poor public relations led to an inability to explain and justify his work.

"These facts substantiate the lack of such skill and capability that is necessary to be an effective assessor," Mr. Morrill wrote in his decision. "The town board of Gouverneur was justified in taking action to suspend town assessor Dale Raymo for 'just cause.'"

The council's vote to fire Mr. Raymo was unanimous.

Property owner Dale L. Lehmer, one of Mr. Raymo's critics, applauded after Supervisor Robert R. Ritchie read aloud Mr. Morrill's conclusions.

"Justice has been served," Mr. Lehmer said. "Thank you, gentlemen."

Mr. Raymo wasn't present but was represented by his parents, Bonnie G. and Carl B. Raymo, and his business partner, Brennan R. Shampine. They made no comment after the decision.

The town has been told by its attorney, Henry J. Leader, that it must wait at least 30 days before advertising for a permanent assessor to give Mr. Raymo an opportunity to appeal his termination, Mr. Ritchie said. Barbara A. Finnie is the town's acting assessor.

Mr. Morrill presided over a four-day hearing into Mr. Raymo's suspension earlier this year.

Last summer, the Town Council suspended Mr. Raymo as assessor and fired him as code enforcement officer after numerous complaints from property owners unhappy with his treatment of them and the values of his assessments.

Mr. Raymo's attorney, Robert J. Slye, said neither he nor his client had any comment on Mr. Morrill's findings.

Mr. Morrill determined that the town was unable to prove Mr. Raymo intentionally misused town equipment that included a truck and computer.

However, he said Mr. Raymo's method of determining assessments was not uniform.

"Mr. Raymo seemed unclear and uncertain of how to handle property transactions that indicated a sales price outside his opinion of value," Mr. Morrill said. "Market value and sales price are not always the same."

Mr. Morrill found fault with Mr. Raymo telling taxpayer Francis W. Kolbe he should repair a property to match its assessment or burn it down.

"While it may be tempting to an assessor to use assessed value to encourage property owners to improve the condition of the property, it is improper to do so," Mr. Morrill said. "Mr. Raymo did not consider the sub-optimal use while assessing Mr. Kolbe's property and made unreasonable recommendations for resolving the over-assessed value."

Mr. Morrill also found that Mr. Raymo retaliated against several members of the Perrigo family, substantially raising in subsequent years the values of property owned by Lucas J. Perrigo and Bryan K. Perrigo after they were lowered by the Board of Assessment Review. Mr. Morrill also determined that Mr. Raymo's increase by 44 percent of the home of Fred A. June, Bryan Perrigo's father-in-law — the only assessment change in 2009 on Bristol Road — appeared retaliatory.

Mr. Raymo's relations with taxpayers were poor, leading to a lack of trust and to public debate of his capabilities and fairness, Mr. Morrill said.

Mr. Morrill did not agree with Mr. Slye's contention that the town was pressured politically to rid itself of Mr. Raymo.

"Nothing indicates that the town board members re-election to office was threatened by a political movement to oust them from office," Mr. Morrill said.

"The town board was moved to act out of a sense of fairness and public safety," he said.