ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The city’s assessing properties to gauge increases in values to estimate the 2020 city and school taxes and 2021 county taxes.
“Rochester is home to one of the hottest real estate markets in the nation,” says Justin Roj with the City of Rochester. “Home assessments are up in every single neighborhood in the city. Every single one,” adds Roj.
Roj says with property assessments up, that’s a great thing. If city spending stays put, the tax rate could go down. “It’s not as if ‘hey, assessments are up, therefore, the amount of taxes we collect is going to go up,’” he says.
However, homeowner Bryce Miller with the North Winton Village Association isn’t exactly celebrating.
“This is a letter that could really turn the tide for certain folks,” says Miller.\
Miller’s new assessment says they went up by $40,000 and is expected to increase his taxes by almost $500. While he feels he’ll be okay, he’s worried about the most vulnerable in his neighborhood.
“There are people here who have such a strict budget, they have no where they can cut and that’s my concern,” says Miller. He would like to see something along the lines of an “assessment cap” in the future.
“There are things people can do to try and contest this,” Miller says, and that includes calling 311 or 585-428-5990 to meet with a city appraiser for another assessment go-round.
Source: WROC-TV
