Congers resident Amy Durbin asked the Clarkstown Town Board on Tuesday night why her annual tax bill showed a town tax rate increase of 7.48 percent when the amount the board approved in early November was 6.2 percent.
The answer came from Town Comptroller Edward Duer.
“It’s a composite rate and predicated on an assessed (home) value of $135,000,” he explained.
Durbin said the Rockland County Legislature’s approved tax rate increase of 18 percent appeared on her bill as that same amount but the town rate increase of 6.2 percent showed up as 7.48 percent.
Town Supervisor Alex Gromack said some homeowners were charged 6.2 percent, others less than six percent and some more. He noted the bill could be confusing because it includes several different taxing authorities including Rockland County.
Gromack said the town tax rate consisted of six or seven different line items such as: the town sewer district, lighting district, open space, garbage and ambulance. The town fire district is separate and not included in the town rate.
Councilwoman Stephanie Hausner suggested putting a sample tax bill on the town’s web site with an explanation of which line items go into the overall town tax rate. Gromack told residents at the meeting could contact his office for an explanation of their bill and a calculation of their actual tax rate.
“If you like, we will be glad to go over it line by line,” he said.
Thanks for sharing that information.
We have been able to reconcile the Town Board's vote of 6.2% with the line that shows "Town Tax" at 7.66%. For my own particular case I think this is the way it works. Tax 2012 2013 Difference % Change Town Tax $3,333.17 $3,588.48 $255.31 7.66% Open Space $29.71 $29.46 -$0.25 -0.84% Nanuet Amb Dist $54.52 $50.85 -$3.67 -6.73% Consol Light Dist $37.91 $47.15 $9.24 24.37% CT Mas SD $466.83 $507.88 $41.05 8.79% Refuse/Garbage $160.36 $141.98 -$18.38 -11.46% Garbage collection $364.00 $359.00 -$5.00 -1.37% TOTALS $4,446.50 $4,724.80 $278.30 6.26%