By Matt Youngfrau
Editor’s Note: In last Friday’s issue, we ran this story on page 1A and on the Web site with incorrect information. What should have been marked as dollar figures were incorrectly listed as acreage numbers. We apologize for any confusion this caused readers. The correct information appears below, along with updated facts.
MONTICELLO — Sullivan County officials and residents agree: one of the reasons property taxes are high in Sullivan County is because of the large portions of land that are tax-exempt.
Lawmakers from the village to the federal levels have been trying for years to get laws changed to reduce the number of tax-exempt properties. Even now, there is legislation in Albany to reduce the amount of land allowed to be exempt, but it has failed to garner enough support.
At the Sullivan County Legislature’s Real Property Committee meeting on Tuesday, November 12, this year’s report on tax-exempt lands were released. Compared to 2001, the number of properties in Sullivan County that are exempt have increased in 2002. The numbers are based on property assessed throughout the county. While tax exempt land is up, so is the county’s total assessment.
Throughout the county, $916,709,129 out of $4,811,456,296 (19.1 percent of the county’s total assessment) were exempt in 2001. That number rose to $969,630,992 (19.7 percent) out of a $4,930,642,319 total assessment in 2002.
According to Sullivan County’s Real Property Tax Services Director Paul Burckard, there are several reasons for this. Burckard did not get into specifics but stated it was an issue they keep a close eye on.
All but four of the 15 townships in Sullivan County saw a rise in tax-exempt properties. Those towns that saw decreases include Callicoon at 14.6 percent ($30,924,948 out of a total of $211,134,904) down from 14.7 percent ($29,521,377 out of $201,485,743) from last year. Highland went from 15 percent ($30,803,759 out of $204,755,036) in 2001 to 14.5 percent ($30,244,046 out of $208,584,924) in 2002. Lumberland went from 13.8 percent ($33,092,622 out of $240,187,502) in 2001 to 13.1 percent ($31,400,942 out of $239,774,516) in 2002. Lastly, the Town of Thompson went from 18.7 percent ($196,438,901 out of $1,050,324,009) in 2001 to 18.1 percent ($191,783,729 out of $1,059,929,318) in 2002.
All of the other 11 towns saw increases. Bethel went from 12.9 percent ($51,928,000 out of $403,231,437) in 2001 to 13.4 percent ($30,924,948 out of $414,670,081) in 2002. Cochecton went from 10.2 percent ($12,229,551 out of $120,448,395) in 2001 to 12.1 percent ($14,740,422 out of $121,868,235) in 2002. Delaware went from 15.1 percent ($25,148,900 out of $166,586,620) in 2001 to 18.0 percent ($31,585,438 out of $175,799,572) in 2002. Fallsburg went from 40 percent ($304,135,642 out of $760,228,851) in 2001 to 40.3 percent ($307,852,092 out of $764,330,563) in 2002. Forestburgh went from 11.9 percent ($2,635,085 out of $22,215,867) in 2001 to 12.0 percent ($2,720,697 out of $22,678,376) in 2002. Fremont went from 16.5 percent ($24,609,211 out of $149,595,829) in 2001 to 16.6 percent ($26,893,096 out of $162,338,946) in 2002.
Liberty went from 20.7 percent ($109,048,721 out of $526,773,838) in 2001 to 21.1 percent ($111,707,384 out of $529,847,984) in 2002. Mamakating went from 5.7 percent ($29,979,952 out of $530,567,046) in 2001 to 9.9 percent ($56,137,695 out of $564,669,202) in 2002. Neversink went from 11.9 percent ($4,099,697 out of $34,453,954) in 2001 to 12.0 percent ($4,090,790 out of $33,989,586) in 2002. Rockland went from 13.9 percent ($36,465,321 out of $262,261,720) in 2001 to 16.1 percent ($45,343,775 out of $281,337,378) in 2002. Finally, Tusten went from 19.2 percent ($26,572,390 out of $138,340,296) in 2001 to 19.7 percent ($28,492,979 out of $139,688,734) in 2002.