Thursday, April 08, 2010

It's Still Not The Assessment, Stupid!

Annual Review Deemed Preferable To Once In Four Years

Could it be that Nassau County Exec Ed Mangano and his ill-conceived ilk just don't get it, or are they simply playing Nassau County homeowners for the fools that we apparently are.

Take a look at the letter you received in January from the Department of Assessment, and you will see something quite amazing. The market value of your residential property is right on the money.

In many cases, market value, upon which the assessment is based, is actually lower than the value of the house on the marketplace. How lucky can you get?

Once again, loudly, for those who suffer from Attention Deficit: IT'S NOT THE ASSESSMENT, IT'S THE TAX RATES!

You can review assessment weekly, or once in a decade. Reduce the assessed value to a single dollar. The tax rates, for county, town, special districts, and schools, will simply skyrocket to fill the gap.

Tax savings? Nil!

Propaganda of the Assessment as the root of all evil? Priceless!

Look. They're no fools who propose an assessment "freeze" or who "order" (are they authorized to do that?) reassessment every four years instead of annually. It makes good press, and, beyond believing in the Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus, lulls people into a false sense that government is really doing something to reduce property taxes.

Bottom line: Watch the bottom line. Fools and their tax dollars are, invariably, soon parted...
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From Newsday:

State says Nassau tax roll fair due to yearly review

by ELIZABETH MOORE / elizabeth.moore@newsday.com

Nassau County's much-maligned residential tax roll has won top marks for fairness from New York State, a result the state's Office of Real Property Services chalks up to its annual reassessments.

The county has improved steadily over the past few years and its 2009 roll got a higher grade for accuracy than any Long Island town or city save Shelter Island, which also updates its tax roll annually. It also did better than the city of Long Beach.

The findings add a new wrinkle to the complex politics of the issue for County Executive Ed Mangano, who was elected on a wave of taxpayer rage and Wednesday signed an executive order switching from annual to quadrennial reassessments. Mangano has charged that the assessment system "is broken, does not work and is not fair to taxpayers."

But as to the roll itself, the state has found exactly the opposite, seven years after court-ordered reassessments began. "Compared to most other municipalities on Long Island, Nassau's assessment roll has consistently shown greater equity as a result of its reassessments," said Geoffrey Gloak, spokesman for the state Office of Real Property Services.

"That's what you would expect from a municipality that's conducting reassessments on an annual basis. They tend to produce a more accurate roll."

A Mangano spokesman declined comment on the state's analysis, saying he had not seen it. But Legis. Howard J. Kopel (R-Lawrence), chairman of the government services committee, scoffed at the findings.

"I absolutely do not believe it," he said. "No one thinks their tax assessments are accurate . . . I think the fact that we've got so many grievances filed certainly suggests there's a problem."

The state's findings are even more favorable than the analysis produced last spring by county assessor Ted Jankowski Jr. Jankowski found myriad problems with the assessment and grievance system, but concluded the residential roll itself is far fairer now than the public realizes.

The county's grade comes in the form of a "coefficient of dispersion," a statistic measuring how closely the roll matches true property values judging from actual sales on the open market. The lower the C.O.D., the fairer the system; a C.O.D. of 10 or less is the national standard for areas as populous as Nassau.

Nassau's C.O.D. for its 2009 roll was 6.5, the state found. By contrast, Long Beach's 2009 tax roll scored 14.9; Brookhaven's 17.7, and Huntington's 13.9.

"No reassessment is perfect, no matter how big or small the locality," Gloak said, adding Nassau's good score "doesn't mean that there aren't other aspects of the county's system that are in need of change - for instance, the appeals process."

Fred Perry, a tax-grievance attorney, expressed skepticism about the state's methods, but agreed the roll is improved. "In the aggregate numbers, it's not as bad as people think," he said.

But Perry said there are still too many "ridiculous errors" and evidence of poor quality control.

11 comments:

  1. We're enamored here on Long Island with phony "freezes" and falacious reasoning.

    Call it grasping at straws in the vain hope that something, or someone, will actually give us property tax relief.

    The long wait for the Messiah continues!

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  2. Long Islander By DefaultThursday, April 08, 2010 11:12:00 AM

    What? There is no Santa Claus? Now you've really ruined my day!

    Fools we are, and will be so again in November, when we send the do-nothings who got NY into this mess back to Albany to serve themselves for yet another two years.

    How very sad...

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  3. Get over yourselves! Give Mangano credit for trying to do something. Bunch of cry babies who have nothing better to do with themselves than bash those who we elected to represent us.

    If you don't like Long Island, leave!

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  4. "Love it or leave it", eh? Seems we've heard that tired old line before.

    Why not, "Love it and make it better?"

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  5. By far, the single biggest local tax bill most homeowners have is for their local school district, and that bill is sure to go up next year because pension contributions have to be increased. I don't care if Mangano decides to do the assessment every 500 years, tax bills are not going down until spending goes down and in particular, until labor and benefit costs are brought under control. This constant harping about assessments is a smokescreen that accomplishes nothing.

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  6. If you don't like Long Island, leave!

    Oh, we should not say that...

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  7. What is going to happen to Mangano now that he has "fixed" the assessment system, and people realize their tax bills have not gone down??

    The real problem is not the assessment system, but the inability of local government to cut out of control spending. To date, Mangano has offered only token reductions in spending.

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  8. Problem is, people are leaving Long Island. Good people. Dedicated people. People with young families. Our children.

    Those with the means, the savvy, and the wherewithal are leaving in droves, and unless we do something about the taxes, the housing, the transportation system and the infrastructure, there will be no one left on the Island but for those who advocate for the status quo.

    Thank you, Community Alliance, for keeping the discussion going, and the commitment to the future of Long Island alive.

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  9. Island Park,

    Sadly I think that in the end you are correct. No politician,democrat or republican,young or old will confront that "4 headed monster"-taxes,housing,transportation,and infrastructure-that is killing nassau and suffolk. Who will be left in five or ten years? The super-rich and a permanent poor class to serve their needs.

    If I had college-age children the last place id want them to return to is long island.

    I went to westchester to see a friend.Its less crowded and congested,cleaner and doesnt seem to be as screwed up as nassau. Maybe thats where the green grass finally is.

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  10. Mr. Mangano the MANGO is busy right now dying his hair every week at the parlor. I am serious!!! Now he has the office that he dreamed of, BECAUSE WE ARE SO %^&*() STUPID in voting for this jerk. Suozzi was not the smartest tool in the tool chest either. WE NEED NEW YOUNG BRIGHT IDEAS MAN & WOMEN TO RUN THIS COUNTY. We need to clean the house with these crooked politicians. For all the taxes we pay, our services, streets, crime, parks and such shouyld be in TIP TOP SHAPE. Now Mr. Mangano says the assessments are fine, BUT MR. MANGANO THE MANGO DOES NOT UNDERSTAND ONE THING, WHAT DOES THE ASSESSMENT HAVE TO DO WITH THE HIGH TAXES WE ARE PAYING? It has NOTHING to do with it. ONE TERM COUNTY EXECUTIVE... REMINDS ME OF MR BUSH... SCRAP THE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM, AND START FROM SCRATCH - THE DARN SYSTEM NEVER WORKED GOOD. They blame it on the OLD WANG system... Our County Government needs a BUSINESS MINDED PERSON, AND NOT A PUPPET TO SERVE ONLY THE SPECIAL DISTRICTS... Just hire Mike Bloomberg as a consultant - and you will see the difference. Then we got Kate "The Fat" Murray that continues to eat hamburgers in her office. She continues to BLOCK development and we will have more empty lots with less tax revenues. DOES SHE GET IT.. THE MORE SIGNS WE SEE "REVITALIZATION PROJECT IN PROGRESS" we just do not collect taxes on properties like these. WHY CAN'T SHE JUST SELL THEM TO PRIVATE OWNERS/DEVELOPERS? This will help the TOH bring in more $$$$. Mr. Wang will be going to Queens... So we will not have a new colliseum because Kate "The Fat" Murray is now going to developer school. When she graduates, the Islanders will have a new home. Mr. Wang, just go to Queens so we don't have to loose the Islanders entirely. Kat "The Fat" Murray HAS GOTTA GO. SHE CONTINUES TO SMILE IN OUR FACES AND PUTTING HER FAMILY IN TOWN POSITIONS, CONTINUES TO RIP THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOH AND GIVES HERSELF AND STAFF A PAY RAISE AND IS A VERY POOR MANAGER. Now is that good management in this economic climate? HELL NO...

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  11. Well we have some residents that say to leave NC? She must live in Kate Murrays basement apartment. She more than likely works for the TOH. She does not know what TAXES mean. They need help - real help. I agree with a lot of the people of this blog, Mr. Mangano needs to cut SPENDING. WE SIMPLY CANNOT SUSTAIN OUR EXPENSES. Mr. Managno ran on the ticket of less government, less spending, but I don't see the bureacracy getting smaller. He looks to be a one term CE. I made a mistake... Mr. Mangano needs to get a MUCH BETTER INNER CIRCLE than the same old cronies like (Ciotti, Ambrosino and others I don't remember there name) that just CONTINUE TO SMILE IN OUR FACE AND TAKE OUR MONIES. MR. MANGANO IT IS NOT THE ASSESSMENTS, ITS THE PROPERTY & SCHOOL TAXES... I know someone inside government that said Mr. Mangano goes to get his hair color every three weeks. He worried about his hair that the TAX issues in NC.
    The Kate Gotta Go message is so true. She is just a laughing smiling sack of shit - really. A classic example, she continues to take away properties from commercial landlords to have a empty lot that states"Kate Murray's Revitalization Project In Progress". I am SICK AND TIRED OF LOOKING AT THESE EMPTY LOTS AND THETY ARE NOT BRINGING IN ANY $$$ IN TAXES. So, Ed & Kate have the same plan - WELL, LETS TAX OUR RESIDENTS AGAIN - AND WE JUST BEND DOWN AND SAY - OK Ed & Kate we will pay. WE MUST STAND-UP TO THIS - YOUR KIDS, GRANDKIDS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE WHERE THEY ONCE CALLED HOME. NOW THATS A SHAME... I am slowly becomming an alcoholic everytime I see my TAX Bill.. And I know I am not alone on this...

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