Tax movement making progress

By DAVID HULSE

GLEN SPEY, NY — It’s one step at a time, but Lumberland Supervisor John LiGreci said his efforts to win reform in the laws governing the ability of not-for-profit corporations to exempt land from property taxes is growing.

LiGreci said state Senator John Bonacic is preparing a revised version of reform legislation, which will become the thrust of a loose coalition of Sullivan County and upstate officials who have joined in LiGreci’s effort.

LiGreci recounted a December 11 Monticello meeting with state and county officials at the Sullivan County Government Center to his town board on December 12.

LiGreci’s effort gained new weight in October, when the supervisor testified before the Governor’s Commission on Reform of Local Government. Several of the commission members, including the mayor of Utica and the head of a regional association of Adirondack supervisors, offered their support after his testimony.

The closed meeting last Wednesday was to have included Bonacic, Assemblyman Jacob Gunther and county officials.

Legislators Leni Binder and Rodney Gaebel attended along with Real Property Services Director Paul Burckard, County Attorney Ira Cohen and County Manager Dan Briggs.

Bonacic representative Langdon Chapman attended via telephone amid the stormy weather, but LiGreci said no one from Gunther’s office attended.

LiGreci has complained that existing law allows not-for-profits to purchase and remove large tracts of land from the tax rolls, weakening municipal tax bases. His reform had involved revision of the language in the existing state law, section 420a and 420b of the Real Property Law.

Bonacic has for several years unsuccessfully attempted to reform legislation in his bill S-2286. LiGreci had not favored this bill, since it allowed exemptions of up to 300 acres of land.

But last week, Bonacic suggested an amendment of S-2286, lowering the amount of exempted property to five acres. LiGreci said county officials agreed that support of the new legislation would avoid inevitable court challenges that would arise from attempts to amend the earlier law.

Gunther said he had planned to attend, but a family medical emergency prevented him from being there.

“I’ve supported (Bonacic’s) bill in the past and I support what they’re doing now, but this process involves convincing a lot of people and it’s never been successful in either chamber [of the Legislature]. When you start talking about taxes and religious groups some people look at you like you’re satanic or something,” Gunther said.

County officials are now awaiting receipt of Bonacic’s amended legislation, which will be forwarding to other counties and municipalities to solicit further support.

“We’re going to need a publicity effort,” he said.

Separately LiGreci reported that a proposal that Lloyd Wilson would assume administrative leadership of the town constables had since been withdrawn at a subsequent special meeting of the town board last month. Chief Constable Steve Crum will continue as the patrol administrator, LiGreci said.

In other business, the town board:

• approved a resolution supporting an amendment to the county’s Empire Zone, to qualify several prospective Lumberland properties along County Roads 31 and 41;
• approved and passed on a petition from the  Mohican Lake Property Owners Association calling for lowering of all arterial road speed limits to 15 miles per hour, and;
• similarly approved another request from residents of Lower and Rio Roads to reduce the speed limit to 40 mph.