Public Forum Results In More Confusion In Oswego

By Jose Hernandez

OSWEGO – On March 20^th, a public forum was held regarding the tax reassessment that many Oswego residents took issue with. Kevin Hill, Devin Stewart, Cory Mets, and Dave Barnett were on the panel. Hill is the property assessor of Oswego and has the final say in what properties are assessed. He stressed heavily that the current assessments were preliminary, meaning they are not the current property tax. Hill wants residents to know that they can contact him at any point regarding their property tax concerns and urged them to refrain from asking questions about their own personal property in the public forum. This was the first time reassessments had taken place in Oswego in 27 years.

All panel members stressed that the assessment goal was to ensure that everyone was paying their fair share of taxes and not making a profit despite the 83% increase in tax.

GAR Associates works in tandem with the assessor by collecting data and evaluating it. In their evaluation process, they could not enter everyone’s home and used satellite images. Barnett, the representative for Gar Associates, wanted everyone in attendance to understand that if people were seeking a tax reduction, there would be proper channels to do this. Barnett made an admission that since they could not enter everyone’s home, some assessments may be inaccurate. Oswego residents can submit their grievances before May 1^st. If property owners do not get the reduction they seek, they can then submit their grievances to the Board of Assessment Review and Grievances, an independent board made up of Oswego residents. Litigation in small claims court is the last resort, through Article 7.

Questions and answers after the forum were contentious. Residents felt that the panel was confusing, as was the process of filing an informal grievance.  People asked for clarity regarding protocol. Outbursts from some in attendance led to Hill admonishing them, referring to them as the ‘peanut gallery’. The panel was asked varies questions regarding their connections to the city of Oswego. Residents expressed concerns for the elderly who could not be at the forum and may be unaware of the reassessment and their potential exemptions. The accuracy of GAR Associates’ data collection and evaluation was also put to question.

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