A Time to Reflect

One of the perks of being President of our Association is being surrounded by a lot of dedicated people that advance the cause of better assessment practices. The unfortunate part of this job is that the vast majority of our members don’t see the amount of time or the effort that goes into our Association “click.”

In recent months I’ve had the opportunity to join many county associations’ for their meetings and share with them some of the recent activities. We continue to conduct the business of our Association that address the issues of today, as well as those of tomorrow. In November, our Blue Ribbon Panel met in Middletown to discuss the pending changes in the state administration.

On December 12, 2006, we were invited to testify before the New York State Assembly’s Standing Committee on Real Property Taxation regarding our concerns with the STAR Rebate Program. There were seven specific areas that the Assembly asked us to come and address. Tom Frey, IAO, did a superb job in responding to their questions. I have attached a copy of his comments for everyone to read. Go to http://www.nyassessor.com/STARrebate. 

Also in December, our Legislative Committee met in our Middletown office to review our legislative agenda and Legislative Action Day, scheduled for January 30, 2007.  As always, your support is a must. 

January promises to be a busy month.  We start the new year with fresh course offerings starting January 5th, the IAO Trustees meeting on January 11th and 12, an Executive Board meeting January 12th and 13th, RPTAC January 18th and 19th, and finally Legislative Action Day.

In between the hustle and bustle of the past few months and what promises to be a hectic January, let's take time to reflect on the season at hand.  This is the season to spend quality time with friends & family and to reflect on what it is in life that is most important to us.

On behalf of your Executive Board, I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!