Trustees kick property tax assessment changes into next year as questions mount.

A surge of confusion and resistance from residents, some of whom might be hit with much higher taxes, led the trustees to refrain from acting quickly to eliminate village-based assessments.

For village officials, it may have all seemed relatively simple. Croton-on-Hudson would join the 13 out of 20 villages in Westchester County that no longer do their own property tax assessments, the job would be turned over to the Town of Cortlandt—which by state law would have no choice but to accept the task—and Croton would save $32,000 in expenses, including our part-time tax assessor’s salary and related costs.

In preparation for a public hearing held last evening, November 20, on the proposal to eliminate Croton as a tax assessment unit, Village Manager Bryan Healy had prepared a one-page memo explaining what was afoot. The agenda was also stuffed with background materials more or less explaining the effects of the proposed new tax assessment regime. A Resolution all ready for the trustees to approve was among the documents.