County Solution Will Correct Tax Bills and Refund Thousands of Dollars to Taxpayers
Schenectady County has worked extensively with the Town of Rotterdam to correct the massive tax increases suffered by many residents in Rotterdam Sewer District 2. The County will advance a ‘Correction of Multiple Parcel Errors’ in accordance with the New York State Real Property Tax Law at its meeting on February 8, 2022.
Based on the evidence the Town provided to the County, it appears that 2 errors were made that lead to certain taxpayers in Sewer District 2 receiving sewer tax bills that were up to 800% more than their 2021 bill. First, the Town changed the method of allocating certain expenses. Second, the Town allocated all of the expenses to only a handful of properties instead of all the properties subject to the expense.
“My first priority after hearing about the issue was to find out what went wrong and identify a solution,” said Anthony Jasenski, Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature. “County staff rose to the occasion and worked diligently with Town officials to determine a course of action to resolve it as quickly as possible.”
Affected taxpayers who already paid their bill will be eligible for a refund of the difference between what they paid and what was actually owed, from the Town. Taxpayers that have not yet paid will have their bills frozen until a new, corrected bill can be issued, without risking interest or penalties.
Taxpayers who were erroneously not charged sewer tax this year will pay the charges not assessed in 2022 on their 2023 bill. The amount is expected to be about $36.
“At a time when our neighbors are still dealing with challenges created by the pandemic, I am glad that they will no longer have to worry about finding the money to pay these exorbitant bills,” said Jasenski. “We are happy we were able to help the Town with this matter and provide relief to affected residents. This solution ensures that all property owners in Rotterdam are treated fairly.”
The Legislature will review the recommendations put forth by the County’s Real Property Tax department during the upcoming February legislative meetings.