All property in the Town of Bethlehem -- residential and commercial -- is assessed at
full-value. To maintain fair, equitable and uniform property values that accurately
reflect changes in economic conditions and real estate values, town-wide revaluations are conducted
every three or four years. The next town wide assessment update is tentatively
scheduled for 2009.
The Assessor's office is responsible for assessing all town property and administering
property tax exemptions. Tax rolls are open for public inspection during weekday
working hours. Tentative tax assessments can be provided prior to property
purchases.
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 and/or sales of truly similar homes in
the same general market area, and make your adjustments to the assessments and
sale prices of those homes to arrive at an indicated value for your home. If you
are utilizing a comparable property’s assessed value and or sale price per
square foot of living area (SFLA) 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.
Assessment rolls for the Town of Bethlehem are on file in the Assessor's office.
Office of Real Property Web Site: WWW.ORPS.STATE.NY.US
*Exemption forms available online at ORPS web site*
Forms are also available at Town Hall during normal business hours.
Tax relief may be available for eligible applicants applying
for any of the following five major exemptions:
Seniors - You may be eligible for a partial exemption
from Real Property Taxes as a senior citizen if you meet the following
requirements. One of the owners named on the deed must be 65 years of age during
the calendar year (January 1 - December 31.) Combined income of all
owners cannot exceed $35,400 including Social Security. Eligibility is
based on all 2006 year income. Please bring the following information
with you when you apply: proof of age, executed copy of income tax (if
filed), Social Security benefit statements, statements of wages, pensions,
interest, dividends, capital gains, nontaxable interest and rental or alimony
if applicable. This application must be renewed each year.
Veterans - The Assessor's Office will accept
applications for qualified residential property, owned and occupied by
veterans who served during defined periods of war. Surviving spouses of
a veteran may also be eligible to apply. This exemption applies to the
town and county portion of the General Property Taxes. It does not
affect school taxes or special district tax levies. The qualified
residential parcel will receive a 15% reduction of its assessed value, and, if
combat duty can be documented, an additional 10% will be applied. If the
veteran received a service-connected disability rating, one-half of the
disability rating will be added to the exemption. Each of these items is
subject to a maximum assessed value of $240,000.
Disability - The New York State Real Property Tax Law
allows local governments the option of granting a reduction in the amount of
property taxes paid by qualifying persons with disabilities. To qualify,
persons with disabilities must have a Notice of Award from the Social Security
Administration. This award must certify the applicant's eligibility to
receive Social Security Disability Insurance. A certificate from the
State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped may be used as well as
an award letter from the Railroad Retirement Board certifying the applicant's
eligibility to receive railroad retirement disability benefits. The
property must be occupied and owned by the person with the disability.
The disabled person DOES NOT have to be 65 years of age. Combined income
must be no more than $35,400, including Social Security, in order to qualify
for the exemption. The application must be renewed each year.
Basic STAR - The Basic STAR exemption is for all
owner-occupied residents. The application must be completed and returned
to the Assessor's Office. Basic STAR applications do not need to be
renewed.
Enhanced STAR - The Enhanced STAR exemption is for all
owner occupied residents that are at least 65 years of age and the adjusted
gross income of all owners is under $70,650, excluding income from IRA
distributions. The application must be
completed and returned to our office along with proof of age, residency and a
copy of their 2006 federal income tax return. These applications must be
renewed by March 1 of each year.
New Options for Enhanced STAR
Income Verification Program - Property owners who are
currently receiving the Enhanced STAR Exemption have the option of
eliminating the annual renewal form requirement. Enclosed with all Enhanced STAR Renewals there will be an
application for the Income Verification Program (IVP). If a senior
chooses this option, they will have to renew this year by signing the renewal
form and must enclose their 2006 federal income tax return. Then they
must complete the IVP form by furnishing names, taxpayers' identification
numbers (social security numbers) and signatures for all owners. The
signed STAR renewal form and their 2006 income tax return must be returned to
us by March 1, 2008, along with the IVP form if the Senior chooses this
option. If you complete the IVP form you will not have to annually renew
your application or submit your income tax form. The State will inform the assessor if your income requirement is
met. Seniors not choosing the IVP will be sent renewal forms
annually. If you are thinking of participating in this new option, it is
recommended that you discuss it with the Assessor's Office staff before making
your final decision.
Third Party Notices
If a senior would like their renewal forms sent to another
person, they can obtain a Third Party Notice Application from the Town
Assessor's Office. All renewal forms would be sent to the person
designated on the form.
All applications must be filed on or before March 1.
2007 Middle Class STAR Rebate Program The 2007 STAR rebate will take on a new approach. It
will be called the 2007 Middle Class STAR Rebate Program and will work as
follows:
The NYS Taxation Department will send out an information piece on the
program, along with an application form to all persons holding the Basic STAR
exemption. The latter will fill out the application and return it as
instructed to the NYS Taxation Department (NOT to the Assessor's Office).
You will receive your rebate check with the amount based on income reported on
your State Income Tax Return. Applications will be mailed out the first two
weeks in September. Completed rebate applications must be sent in by
November 30, 2007.
All holders of the regular Seniors and/or Enhanced STAR exemption will not
receive an application and do not have to file the latter. These property
owners will automatically receive their rebate checks.
For more detailed information on the rebate program, estimates of the rebate
amounts you will receive, etc. you can go to the following two web sites:
New York State's Enhanced STAR school tax savings program
requires annual renewal. Those enrolled in Enhanced STAR are reminded
that to remain eligible they must file proof of income for 2006 with the town
assessor's office by March 1. Enhanced STAR is limited to homeowners who
will be at least 65 years of age by December 31, 2007 and have an adjusted
gross income of $70,650 - excluding income from IRA distributions.
Those enrolled in the Basic STAR program - which is open to
homeowners of all ages and incomes - are not required to renew in order to
maintain eligibility.
Homeowners who have not enrolled in either Enhanced STAR or
Basic STAR are urged to take advantage of the savings on school taxes the
program offers by signing up as quickly as possible or by March 1 at the
latest. Enrollment forms are available at the assessor's office in
Bethlehem Town Hall, 445 Delaware Avenue, Delmar.
For further information on the STAR programs, contact the
assessor's office at 439-4955, extension 1103.
Agricultural Assessment Applications Due On or Before March
1
The Albany County Soil and Water Conservation District staff
will once again be completing Soil Group Worksheets (SGW) for landowners who are
going to file for an Agricultural Assessment in 2007. Applications must be
filed with your local assessor by March 1, 2007.
To qualify, the land must be used for the production of sales
crops, livestock, or livestock products, and consist of one of the following:
Seven acres or more with an average gross income of $10,000
for the last two years
Less than seven acres with an average gross income of
$50,000 for the last two years
Rented land can also qualify, if the operator meets the
requirements of A or B above, and a long-term lease exists with the property
owner.
The following items are needed for the completion of your SGW:
Current tax maps showing property boundaries
Current tax bill with ID number for each parcel of property
Location of any building and their use
Location of any forestland and number of acres
Designation of whether the property is in an Agricultural
District
For more information on the Agricultural Assessment Program,
contact your local assessor or the Albany County Soil and Water Conservation
District at 765-7923.
“Why Pay for Something for Something You Can Do for Free?”
As a homeowner, you may grieve your assessment
yourself directly with our Assessor’s office. Our Online Assessment Roll
System information will help you compare your assessment with other similar
properties.You can then fill out
the forms provided on-line and file your grievance directly with our
Assessor’s office anytime prior to, or on, May 27th.If after the Assessor’s review and decision you are still not satisfied
with your assessment, you still have time to explore other options.
The Online Assessment Roll System (OARS) is intended to
provide you with information on real property data maintained by the Town
of Bethlehem Assessor's Office. The site allows you to view
property information, structure information, exemption information, property
sale information and the most recent tax bill information. The site also
offers the capability to perform comparable property assessment and sales
searches.
The Bethlehem Assessor's Office, assisted by the New York
State Office of Real Property Services (NYSORPS), completed the task
of updating the values of all 13,000+ properties located in the Town of
Bethlehem. This project, was completed with the 2006 Assessment
Roll, returning all real property assessments to their current fair market
value levels as of the project's Valuation Date of July 1, 2005. This
town-wide reassessment was conducted to ensure that all property owners are assessed in a fair and equitable
manner.
Future reassessments will take place every three to four years
with the next being tentatively scheduled for completion in 2009.
The general timeline for the 2007 assessment review process is as
follows:
Informal Hearings by Assessor (upon request) -
January 1-April 15, 2007
Mailing of Assessment Change Notices - by
May 1, 2007
Formal Grievance Process - May 1-May 22,
2007
Small Claims/Certiorari Process - begins July 1,
2007
Assessor's Office given Excellence in Equity award by New York State
The Town of Bethlehem was presented with an award for "Excellence in
Equity" by the New York State Office of Real Property Services (NYSORPS)
in recognition of the town's efforts to provide property owners with fair and
equitable assessments on the 2006 assessment roll. The award, signed by Donald
C. DeWitt, NYSORPS Executive Director, was presented to Supervisor Terri Egan
and the Assessor's Office staff by Bob Aiken, NYSORPS Northeast Regional
Manager at the Town Board meeting on September 27, 2006. Assessor David Leafer
praised his staff for their dedicated, friendly and tireless efforts throughout
the 2006 Town-wide Reassessment process. It is because of their efforts and the
great support received by other town departments, in particular the supervisor,
MIS staff and Comptroller's Office, as well as the assistance provided by Bob
Jacobs, NYSORPS Northeastern Client Relations Manager and the town's liaison
and his staff, that the town was able to return its 2006 assessment roll to full
market value status. The latter was evidenced by Bethlehem's 2006 final equalization
rate of 100%.
Pictured in the award presentation photo, from left to right: Assessor David
Leafer; Assessor's Office staff, Karen Boughton, Diane Busick, Karen Granito,
Laurie Lambertsen; NYSORPS presenter Bob Aikin, Supervisor Terri Egan. and
NYSORPS client liaison, Bob Jacobs.
Tax Rolls Are Now Online
On June 27, 2007, the Town's new Online Assessment Roll System (OARS)
that allows residents to directly access real property data, view sales and tax
bill information, and perform comparable property assessment and property sales
searches was unveiled.
"Bethlehem's new Online Assessment Roll System is a perfect
example of local government using technology to improve service delivery",
said Supervisor Cunningham. "After last year's reassessment, residents said
they wanted more assessment-related information online and OARS delivers that
right to your home computer."
"Our new online assessment system is the latest in a long
line of technology upgrades the Town has made, and will continue to make, to
provide greater public access to information, communicate better and more
frequently with residents and allow for more interaction between Town government
and taxpayers," continued Cunningham.
The Town's web-based system, which was demonstrated at the June
27th Town Board meeting, not only allows residents to view information but also
provides interactive capabilities that allow users to gather, sort and compare
data. Those tools include comparable property sales and assessment searches,
residential property inventory characteristics for comparable searches, current
tax rates, parcel level details and aerial photos.
"In the past few years, we provided online access to
assessment information including residential parcel and sales data
information," said M. David Leafer, the Town's Assessor. "That
information, however, was in a PDF form that was not interactive. OARS takes our
previous capability to a whole new level by allowing residents, and Town staff,
to quickly sort through data, pull appropriate comparable information and do
other research in a fraction of the time."
In November 2006, the Town received a $12,112 state grant to pay
for the new system. The money came from the New York State Real Property Tax
Administration Technology Improvement Grant program, created to help
municipalities implement a comprehensive web-based assessment lookup tool to
enable taxpayers to gain access to assessment data with greater ease and
efficiency.
"There's no question that our new OARS system will save
residents time and effort in researching and preparing for meetings with our
staff," said Leafer. "With residents and staff basically getting the
same access to information, we can all truly work from the same page."
To access the OARS system, a new link was created on the top of
the Town's website main page, www.townofbethlehem.org, called "Online
Services". On the left-hand side of that page is the link to the OARS
system, as well as links to other online services and forms including the town's
monthly e-Newsletter, Water/Sewer Billing Automatic Bill Payment, Tax Bill
Automatic Bill Payment and a sign-up page for the Town's new monthly Community
Clean-up Days.
"The OARS system is one of several web-based technology
improvements the Town has made over the last few years," said Jeffrey
Dammeyer, Bethlehem's Director of Management Information Services. "We also
set up a public computer station in the Assessor's Office at Town Hall to
provide access to OARS for residents who do not have a home computer or Internet
connection."
"The Town Board and I have made a commitment to using
technology to improve town services, making them more user-friendly and
cost-efficient," said Supervisor Cunningham. "But part of our mission
in providing more online services is also providing more access to those online
tools."
The Town Supervisor also thanked Mr. Leafer and Mr. Dammeyer for
managing the OARS project and leading their award-winning departments. The Town
of Bethlehem Assessor's Office was presented with an award for "Excellence
in Equity" by the New York State Office of Real Property Services (NYSORPS)
in recognition of the town's efforts to provide property owners with fair and
equitable assessments in the 2006 reassessment process. Mr. Dammeyer won the
2007 Frank C. Moore award from the American Society for Public Administration.
"We have excellent leaders managing our Town government
departments," said Supervisor Cunningham. "Dave, Jeff, their
departments and this OARS project are prime examples of the innovative and
award-winning services our Town government provides; a major factor in Bethlehem
being recognized as one of America's most desirable communities."
Dammeyer said the computer is handicapped accessible.
Town of Bethlehem: 445 Delaware Avenue, Delmar, NY 12054 Ph: 518.439.4955
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