NEWS FROM THE OFFICE OF

ULSTER COUNTY COMPTROLLER

ELLIOTT AUERBACH
ELLIOTT AUERBACH COUNTY COMPTROLLER 244 FAIR STREET KINGSTON, NEW YORK 12401 PHONE: 845: 340-3529 eaue@co.ulster,ny.us
www.co.ulster.ny.us/resources/comptroller

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COUNTY REIMBURSES MILLIONS TO SCHOOLS FOR UNCOLLECTED PROPERTY TAXES Ulster County Makes School Districts Whole KINGSTON, NY (April 9, 2013).Ulster County has once again met its obligation to make area school districts whole by writing checks totaling over $22 million and paying the taxes on more than 6,000 parcels. Of the $546 million in total taxes levied in Ulster County, school districts continue to be the largest users of revenues derived from property taxes, accounting for 63% of the property owners total tax bill. That total exceeds $341 million in 2012 and dwarfs the $79 million and $75 million raised by county and town taxes respectively. While we continue to debate the 2% property tax levy cap and the fiscal stress faced by local governments, we cannot lose sight of the burden being borne by our property owners to fund education, Comptroller Elliott Auerbach stated. Now is the time to revisit property taxes and arrive at an innovative way to underwrite our schools. The County, by law (New York State Real Property Tax Law: Section 1330), on or before the first day of April must pay to the school districts the amount of unpaid school taxes. This is after the taxes remain unpaid subsequent to being re-levied on the town and county tax bill. The report can be found at http://www.ulstercountyny.gov/comptroller/Numbers.html

###

The mission of the Ulster County Comptrollers Office is to serve as an independent agency of the people and to protect the public interest by monitoring County government and to assess and report on the degree to which its operation is economical, efficient and its financial condition sound.