AUBURN - Think the neighbor's fence is a little too close to the property line? Thinking of moving to a new neighborhood? Think you got a raw deal on your tax bill?
“Ten years ago, you'd have to go down to town hall and page through books whenever it happened to be open,” said Alan Kozlowski, director of Cayuga County Real Property Tax Services. “Now that stuff's all online.”
As of a few weeks ago, most of it is also free. The county's 2008 budget eliminated the $8 monthly fee it used to take to look at tax maps, home sales data and assessment rolls.
“We have a significant investment in this package, but it's very user friendly,” Kozlowski said. “What we've tried to do is create an open-based system and keep down the cost.”
Real Property will draw income from custom services for developers, real estate agents, planners and others looking for more in-depth data. There are numerous applications that include determining flood plains to forecasting what a development like wind towers would look like at eye-level.
“We're going to branch out into services we think our salable,” Kozlowski said.
Another option may be hosting similar services for neighboring counties once the government's building is equipped with an in-house broadband Internet network. In the meantime, the public can explore tax maps and data for all 40,000-plus parcels in the county.
The system has been about a decade in the making. Making the service free is a key step in the Real Property office's goal to make the taxing process as transparent as possible.
“We want people at least to feel they're being treated fairly,” Kozlowski said.
On the Net
Cayuga County Real Property Tax Services:
http://co.cayuga.ny.us/realproperty
Staff writer Shane Liebler can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or shane.liebler@lee.net
As of a few weeks ago, most of it is also free. The county's 2008 budget eliminated the $8 monthly fee it used to take to look at tax maps, home sales data and assessment rolls.
“We have a significant investment in this package, but it's very user friendly,” Kozlowski said. “What we've tried to do is create an open-based system and keep down the cost.”
Real Property will draw income from custom services for developers, real estate agents, planners and others looking for more in-depth data. There are numerous applications that include determining flood plains to forecasting what a development like wind towers would look like at eye-level.
“We're going to branch out into services we think our salable,” Kozlowski said.
Another option may be hosting similar services for neighboring counties once the government's building is equipped with an in-house broadband Internet network. In the meantime, the public can explore tax maps and data for all 40,000-plus parcels in the county.
The system has been about a decade in the making. Making the service free is a key step in the Real Property office's goal to make the taxing process as transparent as possible.
“We want people at least to feel they're being treated fairly,” Kozlowski said.
On the Net
Cayuga County Real Property Tax Services:
http://co.cayuga.ny.us/realproperty
Staff writer Shane Liebler can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or shane.liebler@lee.net
