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Lee Kyriacou, Executive Director of the New York State Office of Real Property Services (NYSORPS), presented the award, along with staff from the state agency.  NYSORPS is the state agency charged with overseeing local property tax administration.

Mr. Kyriacou presented County Director of Assessment Valeria Coggin and Assistant Director of Assessment Jay Franklin with a “County Excellence in Equity” Award.  The award recognized the fact that Tompkins County has conducted reassessments for eleven consecutive years, “thereby complying with New York State’s highest standards for assessment administration.” 

Highlighting the achievements of the County Department of Assessment, Mr. Kyriacou said, “When it comes to fair and efficient assessing practices, Tompkins County, under the leadership of Valeria Coggin, has been at the forefront for more than a decade.  The County was among the first communities statewide to commit to maintaining fair assessments annually, as well as being one of the first to make assessments available on the Internet.  Keeping assessments fair is no easy task, but it is the only way to ensure that taxpayers pay no more than their fair share of property taxes.”  

“This award is not just a plaque to hang on the wall,” notes Tompkins County Administrator Joe Mareane.  “It is an assurance to our taxpayers that their property assessments are determined in a manner that is thorough and based on the state’s highest standards.  As a result, property taxes levied by municipal governments and school districts throughout the County are fairly and equitably allocated.”

A reassessment is the comprehensive review and updating of all property values in a community.  By adjusting the “assessed value” of each property to reflect full market value, assessors do not raise or lower the property tax for a community, but rather “level the playing field” so that all properties are fairly assessed and pay only their fair share of taxes. 

Without frequent reassessments, most taxpayers will pay either more or less than their fair share of taxes.  By updating assessments to reflect current market values, taxpayers are protected from paying taxes on overassessed properties and can easily determine whether their assessments are fair and accurate.

This year, 312 of New York’s city, town and county assessing units conducted property reassessments that met state standards.  The 312 assessing units account for 46 percent of the parcels in the state. 

Tompkins County is one of only two county assessing units statewide (along with Nassau County).  In most communities, assessing is done by cities and towns and, in some cases, villages. 

By assessing at the county level, Tompkins County is able to reduce costs through economies of scale, while increasing the level and quality of service for property owners.  A recent study indicated that, as a result of assessing at the county level, the county saved more than $300,000 each year compared to the cost of providing similar services at the city and town level.   In addition, rather than each municipality employing different assessment practices, the county ensures that all properties are assessed fairly regardless of the municipality in which they reside.

Municipalities and counties conducting reassessments are eligible to apply for State Aid for Quality Assessing. This program awards up to $5 per parcel aid to qualifying assessing units and includes:

Since the inception of State Aid for Quality Assessing in 1999, Tompkins County has received more than $1.25 million for updating assessments on an annual basis. 

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