All property in the Town of Bethlehem is to be assessed at an equitable and
uniform value. To maintain fair, equitable and uniform property values that accurately
reflect changes in economic conditions and real estate values.
The Assessor's office is responsible for assessing all town property and administering
property tax exemptions. Assessment rolls are open for public inspection during weekday
working hours.
Assessors are interested only in fairly assessing property
in their assessing unit. If, after reviewing the assessment data of comparable
properties in your market area, your assessment appears to be in line but your
tax bill seems too high, the assessor cannot change that. Complaints to the
assessor or the Board of Assessment Review must be about how the property is
assessed. Complaints about high taxes should be addressed directly to the taxing
jurisdictions, such as the school district board, the county legislature or the
town board, who set the tax rates. The assessor does not set budgets or the tax
rates resulting from the budgets.
In comparing properties to yours, it is important to
remember that location, style, age, size, etc. are critical to the comparison
process. You should review assessments of truly similar homes in
the same general market area, and make your adjustments to the assessments of those homes to arrive at an indicated value for your home. If you
are utilizing a comparable property’s assessed value per
square foot of living area (SFLA), after subtracting the land value first, to make a case for over assessment, be sure to
use those derived from similar homes in similar market areas and of very similar
SFLA. Otherwise your results will be skewed and will not prove your case.
Contact the Assessor's Office for:
Assessment/property inventory data -- this information is available throughout the year
for assessment comparison review purposes.
Tax exemption eligibility.
Tax maps -- the maps and indices make it possible to locate a property, learn its size,
and identify its owners. Maps and indices are available for use at the Assessor's Office
and at the Bethlehem Public Library.
Board of Assessment Review -- each year on Tax Grievance Day the Board convenes to
receive and act on resident appeals of tentative tax assessments.
Tax Grievance Day -- held to allow people the opportunity to present oral testimony in
support of previous written documentation submitted to appeal a tax assessment.
(The fourth Tuesday in May.)
Assessment rolls for the Town of Bethlehem are on file in the Assessor's office.
Town of Bethlehem: 445 Delaware Avenue, Delmar, NY 12054 Ph: 518.439.4955
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