BEAVER FALLS — The Croghan Town Council this week will hold an informational session on the possibility of switching to a single, appointed assessor and conducting a townwide revaluation.
"I thought I'd take the initiative and get it out in the open," first-year town Supervisor John G. Jones said. "I'm going to see how the people feel."
The meeting will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Beaver River Central School auditorium.
Caryn W. Kolts, Lewis County's real property tax services director, and Janet LaSell of the state Office of Real Property Services will be on hand to answer questions.
All but two of Lewis County's 17 towns — Croghan and Lowville — have single, appointed assessors.
In light of that, Mr. Jones said, he began to wonder if "we're not doing it the best way" and mentioned the idea of disbanding the town's elected three-member Board of Assessors at board meetings after taking office.
In response, about 400 town residents — primarily from the Belfort and Indian River areas — signed a petition in opposition.
The intent of Wednesday's meeting is to provide more information about the proposal and get input from residents throughout the town, Mr. Jones said.
"I think there are a lot of misconceptions out there," he said.
The Croghan Town Council in 2001 proposed a single-assessor law and put it to a public vote, but town residents rejected it, 107-75.
Opponents of the law said they didn't want to give up the right to vote for the people who determine the property values. That vote also came on the heels of a townwide property revaluation, which generally raised the true value of the town's numerous woodland parcels.
Shortly after the Croghan vote, the towns of Leyden and Lyonsdale switched to sole assessors, citing difficulty finding qualified people to run for the increasingly technical job.
A recent change in state law would now allow the Town Council to make the switch without a public vote, Mr. Jones said. However, the supervisor said he'd like to get more extensive public input before discussing the matter further with his fellow board members.
Mr. Jones also is considering another revaluation, since the town's equalization rate has dropped from 100 percent to 86 percent since 2001. The town would be eligible for state funding of at least $5 per parcel for its approximately 2,500 parcels if it brings assessments back up to full market value.
