It appears that neither the Union Springs School District business office, nor the State office of Real Property Services, nor the Cayuga County Office of Real Property Taxes ever checks their own - or anyone else's - work.
Such as calculating the correct school tax rates for Aurelius, Fleming, Ledyard, Springport and Scipio.
What happened? Well, according to The Citizen, “the equalization rates from last year were used instead of the current ones to figure this year's school tax.” “Once those rates leave the school's business office, they pass through the hands of two potential gatekeepers - the county and the state, but the county is not responsible to check the accuracy of the figures.”
Really? Whatever happened to having checks and balances - and oversight?
According to Director Al Kozlowski of the Cayuga County Real Property Tax Services, “the county goes by figures the school districts send it with no data to check against.”
No data to check against? How about if the county and the schools did a comparison of last year's equalization rates vs. what the school districts used this year?
Mr. Kozlowski went on and also said “that county tax bills are thoroughly checked by his department.” If they're thoroughly checked, then how did five school districts use the wrong equalization rates and therefore wrong tax bills were issued?
Must be that Mr. Kozlowski has his own definition of “thoroughly.” It appears that perfunctory - or done routinely and with little interest or care - is a more appropriate way things are done by this director. And the USS business office too.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that erroneous tax bills have been sent out or got past Mr. Kozlowski. And the beat goes on.
However, this does not excuse the Union Springs school's business office for not verifying each equalization rate used. They should have caught it in the first place.
However, why do we have this CCORPTS if not to verify the integrity of all tax and assessment data and that all towns are adhering to the law? Isn't that is charger?
As for the NYSORPS in Albany: They're really not interested in hearing anything substantial about correctness or equity, but rather in the preservation of the status quo and their own rice bowl first and after-the-fact verifications of each school's/town's date second.
It's your money.
Bill Balyszak
Auburn
What happened? Well, according to The Citizen, “the equalization rates from last year were used instead of the current ones to figure this year's school tax.” “Once those rates leave the school's business office, they pass through the hands of two potential gatekeepers - the county and the state, but the county is not responsible to check the accuracy of the figures.”
Really? Whatever happened to having checks and balances - and oversight?
According to Director Al Kozlowski of the Cayuga County Real Property Tax Services, “the county goes by figures the school districts send it with no data to check against.”
No data to check against? How about if the county and the schools did a comparison of last year's equalization rates vs. what the school districts used this year?
Mr. Kozlowski went on and also said “that county tax bills are thoroughly checked by his department.” If they're thoroughly checked, then how did five school districts use the wrong equalization rates and therefore wrong tax bills were issued?
Must be that Mr. Kozlowski has his own definition of “thoroughly.” It appears that perfunctory - or done routinely and with little interest or care - is a more appropriate way things are done by this director. And the USS business office too.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that erroneous tax bills have been sent out or got past Mr. Kozlowski. And the beat goes on.
However, this does not excuse the Union Springs school's business office for not verifying each equalization rate used. They should have caught it in the first place.
However, why do we have this CCORPTS if not to verify the integrity of all tax and assessment data and that all towns are adhering to the law? Isn't that is charger?
As for the NYSORPS in Albany: They're really not interested in hearing anything substantial about correctness or equity, but rather in the preservation of the status quo and their own rice bowl first and after-the-fact verifications of each school's/town's date second.
It's your money.
Bill Balyszak
Auburn
Citizen
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