Assessor's Responsibility
The Town Assessor's duties and responsibilities are determined by New York State Real Property Tax Law and include:
- Preparation of a fair and equitable annual assessment roll
- Administration of the grievance complaint/tax certiorari process
- Administration of exemptions including the STAR program
- Management of the continuous town-wide revaluation effort
The Town has a New York State Certified Assessor appointed to a term of six years.
Importance of Property Assessments
Property assessments are necessary to equitably distribute the tax burden among all property owners based on the market value of their property. Properties are appraised so that some of the costs associated with providing services, such as public education, fire, ambulance and sheriff protection, roads and utilities, can be allocated to the property owners in proportion to the market value of their individual properties.
See the links below to learn more about the assessment process:
- How Real Property Tax Works (PDF)
- Fair Assessments - A guide for property owners (PDF)
- Assessments vs. Taxes: What's the difference? (PDF)
- The Real Property Tax Cycle (PDF)
- Understanding the Equalization Rate (PDF)
- About Property Taxes and Assessments (Video)
If you have questions, please call or email our office at 585-359-7032 or assessor [at] henrietta.org (assessor[at]henrietta[dot]org).