Letters

Southampton Village destroys the records that support the village’s calculation of the assessed value of village properties. Thus, the village has no support for the amount residents are billed for village real estate taxes.

Residents should consider what they want to do with an invoice that has no credibility.

The village probably wants you to just trust them. This is the village that lies to you on every real estate tax invoice. They provide a “full market value” number that is a low-ball, “backed into” amount based on a predetermined assessed value.

The use of the wording “full market value” is a deliberate deception, because full market value is not used in determining assessed value. And this administration refuses to tell you how assessed values are determined. This administration should not be trusted.

The village tax assessor makes a calculation of assessed value using a method that the village refuses to disclose. So much for transparency. The assessor’s calculation is not checked by the village’s independent auditor or by anyone in the tax receiver’s office. A major accounting deficiency.

Here is an example of the assessor’s work: 35 Rosko Drive and 149 White Street are both knockdowns and rebuilds. Both of the rebuilds sold for $7 million. One is assessed at $15,966 — and one is assessed at $46,252. The village assessor was fired by the Village of Shelter Island.

What is the solution to this travesty? The present method of determining assessed value is arcane. It produces unfair, absurd and unsupportable amounts. The village needs to adopt a new method of determining assessed value. That method should treat all residents the same, and it should strive for fairness.

That method already exists and has all the needed data. If you and the village want to know this method is, just ask me.

If the village does not adopt a new method before next year’s tax bills, each village resident should consider their options. The village cannot support its invoices.

David Rung

Southampton Village