ROTTERDAM School tax bill shocks out-of-city landowners BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter Rotterdam residents who are in the Schenectady City School District got sticker shock when they opened their school tax bills this month.
A total of 244 properties near the city line pay city school taxes, and owners had expected the same tax increase as city residents: 2.3 percent. Instead, they saw an 18.8 percent increase.
One resident’s school tax bill alone went up $559. Another resident, who has houses in the city and in Rotterdam, paid $59 more in the city and $506 more in the town.
Neither expected it.
“I went, ‘What? Oh my God!’” said resident Ray Hyam. “My property is 11 houses from the city line. Eleven houses.”
His tax rate should be the same as that of the city residents, he said. But it’s not — and not because the school district is raising Rotterdam’s rate.
The school board decided to raise $54 million in taxes. The state divides up that bill, using the value of each building and the equalization rate in each municipality to decide how much district taxpayers in each municipality should pay.
This year, equalization rates changed dramatically. Schenectady’s rate went from 108 percent to 123 percent, while Rotterdam’s fell slightly, from 102 percent to 100 percent. That means Rotterdam’s houses are generally assessed at what they are worth on the open market — 100 percent of value — and Schenectady’s houses are assessed far more than their actual value. The end result: Rotterdam had to pay a greater share of the total school tax.
There’s not much of Rotterdam in the Schenectady school district. Of the $54 million in taxes, $1.6 million will be paid by Rotterdam property owners this school year.
Rotterdam residents said they were angry the school district did not at least warn them before the budget vote.
“It’d be nice if you could plan for this, you know?” Hyam said.
He added it would be better to use the same tax rate for every property.
“I just want to see some fairness in this,” he said.
Resident David Dickson said he wanted an apology from the school district for the rise in taxes. He also wants school leaders to cut back on spending.
“I know it’s tough. It’s going to hurt,” he said. “But you’re talking about retired people. What about the people who can’t pay it?”
School officials do try to estimate a tax increase before the public budget vote, but they use the previous year’s equalization rates, spokeswoman Karen Corona said. The current year’s rates aren’t available until after the budget vote.
“We do try to get them, but because they’re not finalized, we are not able to get them,” she said.
She added school officials would prefer not to raise taxes at all.
The district has filed an official complaint against the state regarding its education aid, alleging the state discriminates against poor, non-white districts by giving them millions less than they are promised under the state formula.
“If we were getting all the state aid we should be getting, we would be giving money back to the taxpayers and this wouldn’t even be a topic of discussion,” Corona said.
I'm not even sure how it is that these folks who live in Rotterdam have to pay Schenectady school taxes. Do their children go to City or Rotterdam schools?
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
I'm not even sure how it is that these folks who live in Rotterdam have to pay Schenectady school taxes. Do their children go to City or Rotterdam schools?
If these residents have children, they are force to attend the horrible Schenectady city school district, not sure how and when this all started.
But one thing is the absolute FACT, the Schenectady school district is total INCOMPETENCE. Look at what was written in the story:
Quoted Text
School officials do try to estimate a tax increase before the public budget vote, but they use the previous year’s equalization rates, spokeswoman Karen Corona said. The current year’s rates aren’t available until after the budget vote.
“We do try to get them, but because they’re not finalized, we are not able to get them,” she said.
ABSOLUTE TOTAL LIE !!!!
And because, unlike certain people, I ALWAYS provide EVIDENCE, the budget vote is something like the 3rd week in May or so, can't remember what date
The state announced the equalization rates back in March, that is MORE THAN TWO MONTHS before the vote.
The huge increase in the equalization rate for the city - proving the MAASIVE REDUCTION in the city's tax base (thanks to the wild uncontrolled spending of taxpayers money on downtown), was first posted on these boards in March:
While I don't know EXACTLY what date Rotterdam's equalization rate was posted I will state that I do know it is TOTAL FACT that the tentative assessment rolls include the new equalization rate and the tentative rolls are ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS published on May 1 of each year, that is NOT a matter of a municipality's personal choice, that is STATE LAW.
So therefore, I have provided the EVIDENCE that the city school DID, in fact, know what the equalization rate would be. Therefore they were perfectly capable of stating that people would suffer an almost 20% increase in taxes.
But of course, they kept it a big secret because if they dared announce such a tax increase, the budget would have been voted down (as it should have been).
Obviously somehow, some way, the people in Rotterdam who are part of the city school district need to act starting TODAY to get themselves out of the city school district. This is just more proof that consolidation WILL NOT WORK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Now explain to me why some Rotterdam residents are in the Schenectady school district. It makes no sense. If you live in Rotterdam you should be sending your children to Rotterdam schools and paying Rotterdam school taxes. How is it the Schenectady school district can hold Rotterdam residents hostage. Explain this to me please.
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
Now explain to me why some Rotterdam residents are in the Schenectady school district. It makes no sense. If you live in Rotterdam you should be sending your children to Rotterdam schools and paying Rotterdam school taxes. How is it the Schenectady school district can hold Rotterdam residents hostage. Explain this to me please.
some Mohonasen kids live in colonie.....school district lines do no match city/town lines.....
some people have property lines that have both city and town lines.....
map drawing only works for countries (unless you live in gaza) it doesn't work for plebs....
it's all about the levy......what is the worth of the levy?
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
some Mohonasen kids live in colonie.....school district lines do no match city/town lines.....
some people have property lines that have both city and town lines.....
map drawing only works for countries (unless you live in gaza) it doesn't work for plebs....
it's all about the levy......what is the worth of the levy?
Why? And why would you buy a house knowing that your children would be going to a different school and you'd paying a different district's taxes? When you buy a house, aren't you also buying into the community it sits in? To me this is utter insanity. Redraw the gosh darn property lines. There, problem solved.
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
There are homes in coldbrook (by Altamont ave)...front yard in ROTTENdam....back yard in Schenectady. Their back yard is taxed by the city of Schenectady....front yard ROTTENdam.....Their kids go to Mohonasen.
the adult book store....1/2 in ROTTENdam and 1/2 in Schenectady.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
There are homes in coldbrook (by Altamont ave)...front yard in ROTTENdam....back yard in Schenectady. Their back yard is taxed by the city of Schenectady....front yard ROTTENdam.....Their kids go to Mohonasen.
the adult book store....1/2 in ROTTENdam and 1/2 in Schenectady.
My house is on the Rotterdam/Mohon side of the street, other side of the road is schenectady/schenectady... My neighbor is mostly in Rotterdam, but has a 4X6 foot (yup, that's right) strip of his land that is in Schenectady... He gets a tax bill every year for it, and refuses to pay it... so technically, he is in tax foreclosure for that piece...
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
There are homes in coldbrook (by Altamont ave)...front yard in ROTTENdam....back yard in Schenectady. Their back yard is taxed by the city of Schenectady....front yard ROTTENdam.....Their kids go to Mohonasen.
the adult book store....1/2 in ROTTENdam and 1/2 in Schenectady.
See, I don't understand why anyone would a.,build one home straddling two municipalities or b., buy a home that was built straddling two municipalities. Didn't ANYONE foresee that this might lead to a problem? Common sense HAS to tell you that in a situation like that somewhere down the road there might be a problem. And let's say a home does indeed straddle two municipalities. Does the homeowner answer to two zoning and building codes that may differ?
I mean maybe I'm looking at it too simply.
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
some Mohonasen kids live in colonie.....school district lines do no match city/town lines.....
some people have property lines that have both city and town lines.....
map drawing only works for countries (unless you live in gaza) it doesn't work for plebs....
it's all about the levy......what is the worth of the levy?
That kind of stuff happens across Nisky and Colonie too, like maybe live in Nisky but being in the Colonie school district or vice versa. And that actually crosses county lines. I'm not certain offhand without looking it up, but aren't there homes in the town of Glenville (in Schdy) but go to in Burnt Hills which I believe is Saratoga Co.
I'm guessing this stuff came about long ago. I don't know the history exactly, but perhaps there was the city, then a town was created and as more people moved out to the town suburbs the school districts were growing but then how someone/boards/councils would choose to cross over municipal lines for school, no idea.
I'm sure a certain someone know-it-all will respond with the history. That's OK. But I am curious.
But then think too, how lots of Guilderland, in Albany Co, has a 12303 zip code and often phone numbers are a Rotterdam exchange (I think that's true with Hannaford in Guilderland.
And when you think of it, I hope equalization rates are determined by the actual municipality and not zip code because if you remember how someone back a couple years ago was posting on here about home values but was including Guilderland home sale prices because of choosing more by zip code.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
See, I don't understand why anyone would a.,build one home straddling two municipalities or b., buy a home that was built straddling two municipalities. Didn't ANYONE foresee that this might lead to a problem? Common sense HAS to tell you that in a situation like that somewhere down the road there might be a problem. And let's say a home does indeed straddle two municipalities. Does the homeowner answer to two zoning and building codes that may differ?
I mean maybe I'm looking at it too simply.
Very good points. No common sense. Instead of consolidation these governments should redraw their lines slightly so people aren't in two municipalities or school districts.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
My neighbor is mostly in Rotterdam, but has a 4X6 foot (yup, that's right) strip of his land that is in Schenectady... He gets a tax bill every year for it, and refuses to pay it... so technically, he is in tax foreclosure for that piece...
Great! Now I sure hope that whatever foreclosure from the city only applies to that 4 x 6 piece. If it was me I'd gladly tell he city to shove it and take it
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Instead of consolidation these governments should redraw their lines slightly so people aren't in two municipalities or school districts.
Yep. Ah but wait, that's too easy. Silly me, what was I thinking.
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,"
See, I don't understand why anyone would a.,build one home straddling two municipalities or b., buy a home that was built straddling two municipalities. Didn't ANYONE foresee that this might lead to a problem? Common sense HAS to tell you that in a situation like that somewhere down the road there might be a problem. And let's say a home does indeed straddle two municipalities. Does the homeowner answer to two zoning and building codes that may differ?
I mean maybe I'm looking at it too simply.
Agree!!! Buyer Beware!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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