The Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee Assessment Relief Act

Late last year, the Legislature passed and the Governor enacted the Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee Assessment Relief Act. The new law allows taxing jurisdictions - counties, cities, towns, villages and school districts – to reduce assessments on properties catastrophically damaged by tropical storms Irene and Lee on their 2011 assessment rolls, based upon a property’s post-storm condition, even though the damage occurred after the 2011 taxable status date.

As enacted, the law, which did not provide reimbursement, set a deadline of Jan. 23, 2012 (45 days after the law’s adoption) for municipalities and school districts to decide whether or not to undertake such a reassessment, which would reduce the 2011 assessments for properties that lost 50% or more of their value due to the storm.

Each municipality or school district that wishes to offer the option to their property owners must separately adopt a resolution. When the law was enacted, the deadline for a property owner to apply for assessment relief was set at March 8, 2012 (90 calendar days after the act was signed by the Governor).

Reductions in taxable assessed values for properties that qualify could range from 55% up to 95% depending on the percentage of property loss incurred by the storm. Such property owners would have their tax bills reduced or, if they already paid their tax for 2011, would be entitled to a refund.

Assemblyman Peter Lopez has made proposals to extend the deadline for voting on the new law, as well as seeking state assistance for local municipalities and schools who would like to participate in the option, but in doing so would sustain considerable financial difficulty.

District residents are encouraged to contact Assemblyman Lopez at his Schoharie office at 295-7250 or Albany office at 455-5363 to support of efforts to help Schoharie County, as well as contacting the Governor’s office by phone at
(518) 474-8390 or by email using the form provided at http://www.governor.ny.gov/contact/GovernorContactForm.php

Information on the Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee Assessment Relief Act may be found on the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance’s website at http://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/irene_lee_legsum.htm

Superintendent Brian Sherman, on behalf of the Board of Education and the school community, wrote to Governor Cuomo on Jan. 19 about the potential impact of the new law and in support of efforts to assist Schoharie County. The impact of electing the assessment reduction option would result in an estimated loss of more than $540,000 in previously collected tax payments. READ HIS LETTER (PDF)

From January 20 - linked article: Board of Education to hold special meeting Monday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. to discuss re Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee Assessment Relief Act  [Update: On Jan. 23, the Board did not elect to reduce 2011 property tax assessments. The impact of electing this option would result in an estimated loss of more than $540,000 in previously collected tax payments.]

From February 9: - linked article: Contact our elected officials NOW to fund the Hurricane Irene &Tropical Storm Lee Assessment Relief Act

[u 2/9/2012]