School districts express assessment concerns

In a letter sent to the Town of Amherst Supervisor Satish Mohan and Board Members, school district administrators from the three schools requested funding to maintain the New York State Office of Real Property Services be budgeted for 2007.

"From our perspective we wish to share with you how the discontinuance of this program will impact the Town of Amherst community that each of our district's serve," the letter, signed by Williamsville Superintendent Howard S. Smith, Sweet Home Superintendent Geoffrey Hicks and Amherst's acting Superintendent Paul Witig, stated. "The continued maintenance of assessed values at full value results in the establishment by ORPS of the Town's equalization rate at 100 percent."

The importance of the 100 percent rate for the districts is that it is used in the distribution of tax levies to the various towns served by the districts.

"Since we serve more than just the Town of Amherst, a reduction in the rate results in a reallocation of the levy to each town," the letter read.

If assessments are done below 100 percent than reallocation of a greater portion of the levy would be necessary for Amherst to be equitable to the other towns. If the town were to reduce to 90 percent the 2007-08 tax levy would increase the tax rate by more than 1 percent.

"In addition to higher tax rates, the community will also find that their STAR exemption amounts will decrease due to the lower equalization rate,"

the letter stated. "If the equalization rate is allowed to decline below 100 percent our community will be forced to assume a greater burden of the tax levy while receiving lower STAR exemption amounts."

It was added that increasing the tax rate would not be understood fully by residents and would have a negative impact on educational programs.

Thomas Maturski, assistant superintendent for finance and management services at Williamsville; Thomas Miller, director of finance and plant services at Sweet Home; and Mark Whyle, director of administrative services at Amherst also signed the letter.