Cicero, NY -- Cicero Town Board has voted to terminate an agreement to share a tax assessor with the Town of Salina, an arrangement that saved each town $30,000 a year. By ending the agreement, the towns also will lose a one-time payment of about $80,000 each in state aid. Cicero Town Supervisor Judy Boyke said the Cicero needs its...
Cicero, NY -- Cicero Town Board has voted to terminate an agreement to share a tax assessor with the Town of Salina, an arrangement that saved each town $30,000 a year.
By ending the agreement, the towns also will lose a one-time payment of about $80,000 each in state aid.
Cicero Town Supervisor Judy Boyke said the Cicero needs its own tax assessor. The town board voted three to two Wednesday night to begin the process of looking for someone to fill a full-time position.
“I have found in my term in office, that a full-time assessor is necessary,” Boyke said. “It’s not in the town’s best interest to have a part-time assessor when we have so many different questions that come up in the town.”
The towns entered into the agreement in April 2009 in order to save money. Tax Assessor Brad Brennan’s salary, which is $67,000, and benefits, which costs $27,085, were covered equally by both towns. Many villages and towns in Central New York have looked to shared service agreements to meet their town’s needs and save money.
Salina Town Supervisor Mark Nicotra said he thought the agreement with the Cicero was going well.
“Ultimately, if we have to go back to a full-time assessor, this will hurt the town,” Nicotra said.
By entering the formal 10-year agreement to share an assessor, the towns were eligible to receive about $80,000 each from the state, once Cicero’s assessments were brought up to 100 percent market value. That was scheduled to be completed in 2011.
The Cicero plans to advertise the job opening next week, Boyke said. Cicero is required to give the Salina 60 days notice before they officially terminate the agreement. Boyke said she gave Salina notice, but Nicotra said his office yet to receive official notice.
“We have made adjustments with Brad’s schedule and we don’t mind making more adjustments,” Nicotra said. “We’re always looking for ways to save money for our taxpayers.”