Assessor

What Does the Assessor Do?

The Assessor is responsible for the valuation of real property in the Town of Grand Island, and continuously updates information on all parcels of real property. This includes collecting and maintaining the physical information needed to estimate the market value of all property. The office must also maintain the ownership records for all property in the Town by verifying and reviewing all sales that occur.

The office is also responsible for the administration of various tax exemptions in accordance with New York State Real Property Tax Law, and local laws, along with the maintenance of property inventory records. Property exemptions are awarded for a variety of reasons. Some of the exemptions available are Senior Citizen, Enhanced Star and Basic Star for School Taxes, Veterans' Exemption, Agricultural Exemptions, and Business Incentive Exemption among others.

Common Questions

Important Dates

March 1: Taxable Status Date

All exemption applications and renewals must be filed by March 1st to affect the following September's school tax bill and January property tax bill.

May 1: Tentative Assessment Roll Filed

Property owners will be notified of any changes to their assessments at this time.

4th Wednesday in May: Grievance Day

Property owners may appear or file the form with a written explanation if they feel their assessment is incorrect. Grievance forms will be available in the Assessor's Office at the end of April. The tentative assessment roll is also available for inspection prior to grievance day. After Grievance Day, (if you attended or sent in a written form) letters outlining the Assessment Board of Review's decision will be sent to property owners.

Grievance Day Dos and Don'ts

July 1: Final Assessment Roll Filed

All changes from Grievance Day are entered on the final roll. The following September school tax and January property tax bills are based on the assessment as of July 1.

Do you have questions about Reassessment Projects?

This video, created with the assistance of our Town Assessor, Ms. Judy Tafelski, and Mr. Joe Emminger, of ENPM, Inc., takes a careful look at the process and timeline involved in the 2021 town-wide reassessment project. Towards the end of the video, contact information is provided to answer questions that remain.

Reassessment Project Video