NY to Stop Tax Payments on State Land?

Chautauqua County Judge Timothy J. Walker, acting Supreme Court Judge, ordered the State of NY to cease making tax payments on state lands because of the "jumbled approach" to the state land taxation (reported in Plattsburgh Press Republican). The order was stayed pending appeal.

Here is how this could specifically affect the Saranac Lake School District if the state didn't make payments:

n the Saranac Lake Central School District -- the largest in the state formed of seven towns over an area the size of Rhode Island -- the numbers are mind-boggling.

District business manager Mike Kilroy ran a what-if scenario.

Of the total $16 million school tax levy, $3.7 million or about 22 percent comes in the form of state tax payments.

"Here's how much the school tax rates would go up if the state didn't make any payments," Kilroy said, his calculator whirring in the background.

"Harrietstown would go from $9.07 to $11.60 (per thousand of assessed value); Brighton would go from $9.15 to $11.67; Franklin (town) would go from $12.35 to $15.80; Santa Clara would go from $7.94 to $10.12; North Elba would go from $8.13 to $10.40; St. Armand would go from $8.40 to $10.72; and Black Brook, which only has a few parcels in the district, would go from $7.94 to $10.11."

State land is clearly assessed at a lower value than privately owned land. This never did seem fair or logical to me. This is an especially important issue in the Adirondacks since the State of NY owns almost half of the park.