Esperance Town Assessor Introduces NYS Legislation Options

New Town Clerk, Amanda Fagan, at her first regular monthly Esperance Town Board meeting. Town Supervisor Earl VanWormer III described Fagan during the meeting as, “sharp,” and expressed that she’s doing a great job. VanWormer went on to thank Fagan because it’s been his pleasure to help her settle into her position adding, “She is a fast learner; she is very dedicated to doing this.” Vanwormer also credited Planning Board Clerk, Stephanie Gage,with helping during this Clerk transition time period.

ESPERANCE-During January 15th’s regular Esperance Town Board meeting, Esperance & Schoharie Town Assessor, Erin Smith, announced, “New York State passed a whole bunch of legislation, as they usually do right at the end of the year.”

Town Supervisor, Earl VanWormer III, asked Smith which of the five options she presented would be most beneficial to their community’s homeowners. Smith suggested two options.

“RPTL 458-A (11), chapter 672 - the primary residence of a veteran who has a 100% service-connected disability, and meets several other qualifying factors, may be made fully exempt from taxation, special district charges, and special ad valorem levies, at local option.” 

Smith expanded on RPTL 458-A, “I’ve gotten so many phone calls on this because apparently the media is just reporting it as veterans who have 100% service-connected disabilities may be able to get a full exemption if their towns had opted in. It’s not quite that simple. You have to meet four different specifications. The first is 100% service-related disability. You also have to have a letter from the VA saying that you’re also unemployable, and you have to meet certain criteria for specific disabilities, and you have to qualify for grants from the VA or the US Government for specialized housing for mobility issues. So it’s not as broad as the little excerpts would make you think. But that is definitely one that I would like for you to consider.”  

The other option Smith said she would really like to see go through is, “RPTL 467 (1)(b)(4), chapter 581 - municipalities have the option to increase the exemption percentage of the Senior Citizens Exemption to those seniors whose income falls below the upper limit. The previous maximum was 50%, this new legislation raises the maximum to 65%.”

Smith confirmed there are quite a few residents who make significantly less than eighteen thousand per year, even as low as twelve thousand, from Social Security as their only income, and this legislation, “It really could mean the difference of them getting to keep their houses.”

VanWormer shared, “I think the idea of these regulations certainly is to try to keep people who would have a difficult time staying in their homes, in their homes, and I think that’s something everybody would agree that we would like to do. I mean, just because somebody had an accident or was injured in a war, you would not like to see him leave our community or leave their home. So, I think that’s a really good thing.”

Home and business owners have approached VanWormer to ask why their taxes went up in past years. VanWormer explained that the biggest driver is school taxes, County tax is the next big driver, and local taxes are probably the smallest piece of the pie. He was cognizant of both not wanting taxpayers to have a significant tax increase, as well as how the legislation can be helpful for community members in need saying, “I’m all for helping people out.” The Board will need to hold a public hearing to make local laws for the options they opt into.

Smith explained these options won’t make a difference to the Town budget, and that spread across the rest of the taxpayers it won’t be that much more added to individual taxes. 

A motion carried to recreate an Assessor Committee that VanWormer mentioned they had years ago. Because Smith is Town Assessor for both Esperance and Schoharie, and their meetings happen at different times each month, reinstating the Committee would make communications a more cohesive process. Smith said Schoharie didn’t have their regular meeting this month, and if agreed upon next month, Assessor Committee meetings would be held among them as needed, and information would be relayed to both Town Boards still. VanWormer confirmed someone was appointed to be part of that Committee during their Organizational Meeting. 

Superintendent of Highways, Michelle Brust, updated on Pleasantview’s recent emergency work due to ice and leaves that had blocked culverts, Mountain Road had a tree down, and State Street got a new stop sign. 

During Brust’s road review, she found trees will need to be cut back on upper Regan Road, Tater Barn Road needs a little patching and a double seal, and Cripplebush Road really needs attention; due to its serious water problem they’re considering putting a culvert under the road and the end of the road has been lost and needs to be scarified and reshaped.

Town Board member, Harold Conklin, discussed concerns about trucks on Sanitarium Road and said, “It’s our responsibility to protect this Town as best as we can.” Conklin cited an accident that happened about a year and a half ago there, where he explained a truck could have gone through a resident’s home if it weren’t for the pine trees they had on their property. Brust has been researching options and found the road is completely in Schoharie County and considered a County Road, leaving the Esperance Town Board with limited options. A motion carried to suggest a resolution to the County and Binghamton DOT that Sanitarium Road gets posted for no trucks except for local trucks. VanWormer thinks they will eventually need to create a truck route for the Town due to the circumstances around Sanitatum Road including an established business and that it’s where trucks tend to turn onto when they miss the signs coming off Route 7 and realize they got lost. Brust submitted paperwork to the Board explaining more details about the truck route option.

Esperance Town Board meetings are conducted every third Thursday of the month, 7 PM at Town Hall (104 Charleston Street). The third Thursday in February will be the 19th. Those who attend also get access to view and get copies of papers in the Correspondence and Announcements folder. VanWormer is still seeking volunteers interested in joining the Comprehensive Committee; Justin Miller added his name during the January meeting.

Esperance Village meetings are every second Monday of the month, 7 PM at the Village Meeting Hall (115 Church Street); February 9th next month.