The Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Finance Committee Tuesday night recommended postponement of the 2003 property assessment to no later than October 2006 as permitted by a new state law.
The vote was 5-1. The full RTM will consider the request at its June 1 meeting.
First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell, who Monday announced the appointment of William Gaffney, the current assessor in Milford, as the new town assessor, came under intense committee questioning before the vote.
She said the goal when Gaffney is aboard in June is to work toward a full physical revaluation by Oct. 1, 2005, but no later than 2006. She said it would have to be done by an outside firm and estimated the cost at about $700,000.
“By taking the opportunity of postponement, we have the opportunity of doing it really right,” Farrell said.
The First Selectwoman announced March 4 that the town was seeking state permission to postpone its 2003 assessment after discovery of a backlog of 1,700 building permits dating to 1998 that had not been included in the Grand List.
At the same time, she announced she was putting assessor Glenn Werfelman on leave. He retired May 1.
Michael Rea, District 8, said he opposed the measure because he first wanted an audit of the assessor’s office. He also said he thought no action should be taken on approving a postponement until the new assessor takes over his post next month.
“I’m looking for a little credibility in that office,” he said. “The taxpayers are reeling.”
In addition, Rea said, he wanted the town try to recover funds from J. D. Ryan Associates, the firm that conducted the aborted 2003 assessment for $300,000.
Farrell responded by saying she was not sure what an audit of the office would achieve.
She also said she would be in close touch with Gaffney before he formally takes over his post and that he supports a postponement in favor of a full physical reval.
As for seeking funds from Ryan, Farrell said, “Not all of Ryan’s (2003 property) data is valueless.” She said his work would be incorporated into the new assessment.
Don Miklus, Finance Director, said of John Ryan, the firm’s head: “He did the job he was required to do (but) there were certain ends that were not within the parameters.”
The assessment had come under intense criticism by residents, some of whom thought some assessments were too low and some who thought they were too high.
Mary Webber, District 2, recalled that previous town property assessments had also been postponed. “This is not the first time we have a perfect record of making a mess,” she said.
She suggested that the town try something it had not done before ֖ conduct the physical revaluation in house.
Webber said that Gaffney had conducted Milford assessments in house and wondered why the town was thinking of doing otherwise.
Miklus responded that Gaffney had a much larger staff in Milford that enabled the town to do the assessment itself.
He said Gaffney felt there was not sufficient time for Westport to do it in house this time but that it might be able to do it the next time.
Farrell said Gaffney would play a key role in developing the requirements for an outside firm to conduct the revaluation as well as in formulating the model to be used.
Farrell also told the committee that the town would be entering into a consulting contract with Garson Heller—a member of the Board of Assessment Appeals who will resign the post as a result—to work on the town’s property assessment database.
She said Heller, who had worked on the New York Stock Exchange computer system in his professional career, was a perfect candidate because of his computer expertise and knowledge of Westport’s property landscape.
Farrell explained that Werfelman had failed to “freeze” the 2002 property database before Ryan began working on it and now the town had to try to recreate it in order for the new tax bills to be sent out.
Miklus said the contract calls for Heller to be paid $9,500 and that the job was expected to take two to three weeks.
(Editor’s Note: The editor of WestportNow is also Moderator of the RTM.)
I certainly hope that the Board of Assessment Appeals would have made decsions on ALL taxpayer appeals before Mr. Heller’s resignation is accepted. Anything less than that is not fair to appellants.
It is very difficult to believe that with all the problems that are bubbling to surface in the Assessors Office—which seem to point to administrative ineptitude there (at the least)—that a full audit by an outside accounting firm is not warranted.
Charlie Haberstroh
I’d second Charlie’s comment, especially in the oft-repeated spirit of “transparency.”
I agree with all the statements above. One must really wonder if there is anyone at the helm in this town. The CEO of Westport must become decisive and make some hard decisions and do what is right for the residents of Westport.
All interesting points.