Minutes of the Roundtable Discussion held Monday, April 10, 2006, at 6:00 PM, at the Town Annex. The following Town Board Members were present: William B. Ferebee, Supervisor, Paul R. Martin, Robert M. Biesemeyer and Marcy Neville, Members of Council. Absent: Lawrence Jaques, Member of Council. Also present were: Jim McDonough, William Washburn and Scott Buysse, Assessors and Ellen Estes, Town Clerk.

The Chairman, Mr. Ferebee, called the meeting to order at 6:02 PM and explained that the Town Board had requested a question and answer meeting with the Assessors. He said they had questions regarding methods used in determining assessments, etc.

Mr. Ferebee asked the first question. He asked when a 10% raise occurs Town wide; does the assessment on State land increase 10% also?
Mr. McDonough responded that it does, he said the Assessors increased State land 10% and added an extra million dollars of assessment on the waterfront properties of Cascade Lakes and Chapel Pond.

Mr. Ferebee said that numbers he had calculated for the difference between 2004 and 2005 showed an increase in Town assessment of 21%, but only a 3% increase on State value.
Mr. Buysse said that was because the State said not to touch it. When asked who he meant by the State, he responded ORPS.
Ms. Neville said she thought these decisions were up to the Town.
Mr. McDonough said the State land has increased each year, he and Mr. Buysse both said that this year’s increase is 10%.

Mr. Martin defined and questioned “equalization rate”.
Mr. Buysse explained that the equalization rate is the difference between the selling price and the assessed value.

There was a discussion about the State using an average of 9 sales when determining the rate used within a Town. No one was in agreement where these 9 sales come from or if they are really used.

Mr. Biesemeyer suggested using the argument with the State land that the top of Mt. Marcy is unique and should be assessed on the “highest & best use basis”, he said this way the Town of Keene could get a higher assessment value placed on it and other Towns could not use the same reasoning since there is no other place of equal value. He said he felt this was a valid argument considering the services the Town gives to tourist who come from all over to climb this peak. He also made the point that the State of New York owns 73% of the Town’s land.
Mr. Martin said a precedent had been set 22 years ago when the AMR sued the Town on their “wilderness” land.
Ms. Neville and Mr. Biesemeyer agreed that the services provided by the Town should count for something toward this tourist attraction.

Ms. Neville asked what percent of the Town tax levy is paid for by the State.
Mr. Biesemeyer said the State pays roughly ¼ of the tax levy and owns ¾ of the land.

Mr. Buysse said the State looks for comparables.

Mr. Martin suggested that the Assessors put together an information booklet to control the misinformation that gets passed around.

Mr. Biesemeyer addressed Mr. Buysse saying that he is looking at comparative properties in the Towns of North Elba, Wilmington and Crown Point. He said our numbers confirm higher assessments but these Towns all have comparative properties. He said he feels the numbers being turned into the State reflect too many high sales.

Mr. Ferebee supplied numbers from a 5 year comparison he compiled, showing that the assessed value in the Town of Keene went up 66% between 2001 and 2005.

The Assessors said that Wilmington’s assessed value would be going up 28 to 40% this year.

Mr. Ferebee asked what happens to the assessment on a piece of property that sells for $600,000.
Mr. Buysse said that assessing this sale for $600,000 would be considered following sales and that it is not allowed.
Mr. McDonough said this is the “Welcome Stranger Law”.
Mr. Ferebee asked if and how a $600,000 sale would affect the neighbors assessment.
Mr. Buysse said it affects the whole Town equally, not any more for the adjoining neighbors.

Ms. Neville said what she sees happening is more and more people trying to get exempt status. She asked how much exempt status the Town now has, this brought up a discussion regarding the Nature Conservancy, which is again exempt. The Assessors said they keep putting them back on the tax roll and the Review Board keeps taking them off. Different options were discussed as ways of handling this problem.

The different classifications used for assessing structures were discussed.

There was a brief discussion regarding a letter to the editor in the Press Republican from a local taxpayer.

Mr. Ferebee asked the Assessors if they had visited all the properties they raised 10%.
Mr. McDonough said they went by all of them.

Mr. Ferebee said he had one more comment to make before adjourning.
He said that while campaigning, a lot of people commented that the Assessors should have a more positive attitude when questioned about the assessing and asked them to stay positive.

Mr. Biesemeyer asked Mr. Buysse if the rumor that he was moving out of Town is true.
Mr. Buysse said he would be moving to Vermont the first of the year at the latest, he said he didn’t think this impacted holding this office.
Mr. Ferebee informed him that an elected official must live in Town.

Mr. Ferebee thanked the Assessors for this meeting and for the job they are doing, he said he knows it’s a tough job.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:06 PM.

Ellen S. Estes, Town Clerk
April 13, 2006
William B. Ferebee, Supervisor
Paul R. Martin, Robert M. Biesemeyer, Marcy Neville
and Lawrence Jaques, Members of Council
James McDonough, William Washburn and Scott Buysse, Assessors