Citizens of Clayton
I have been made aware of the concerns over the Town Wide Reassessment Project and would like to clear up some misconceptions and misunderstandings.
I would like to start out by pointing out that this process was last done in our Township in 2008. Fifteen years ago.
It’s obvious to say that during the last fifteen years that everything has gone up substantially: wages, gas prices, groceries, etc. and that includes property values. However, that does not mean that Town taxes are going to go up substantially.
For example:
Since I have been in office, the Town tax rate has remained the same at $1.47 per $1,000 of assessed value. For example if you are assessed at $100,000 your Town Tax would be $147. As property values go up the Town tax rate will go down. How far down is yet to be determined. That calculation can not be determined until the final Tax roll is filed and the Town has prepared its budget. I can however assure you for instance that if your assessment doubled your Town taxes will not double, as a matter of fact I am very confident they will remain close to the same and in some cases they could possibly even go down.
As far as the assessment process goes please contact GAR Associates at 1-866-910-1776 if you do not agree with your assessment. I strongly encourage you to do this to make sure your data is accurate. Inaccurate data leads to inaccurate assessments. If you don’t feel like it got resolved to your satisfaction you then have the ability to approach the Board of Assessment Review for their determination.
There are a few things that I want to point out and be clear on.
The Town Supervisor nor the Town Board have any input what so ever concerning the assessment values placed on your property.
It has been fifteen years since this process has been done. Clearly property values have gone up. As community leaders we would be doing a poor job if they did not. My job is to keep the taxes from going up at the Town level. We have done a good job with that over the past four years and will continue to do so. As I previously explained.
However, I nor the Town Board have any control over the other taxing entities: County, School and Village. I would like to think that the tax rate for those entities will decrease also, but I am not in position to determine that or to speak for them.
It is the responsibility of the Town to do this revaluation, not to raise more tax revenue, but to make an effort to ensure everyone is being assessed and taxed fairly.
Just for the record for those of you that think the Supervisor is exempt from this or gets preferential treatment, my assessments went up $213,000. I wanted to clear up that misconception.
We will get through this and I assure you that the Town of Clayton tax rate will not be a financial burden.
Lance Peterson
Town of Clayton Supervisor
