DOBBS FERRY/GREENBURGH SHARE RESOURCES TO SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY

Village of Dobbs Ferry announces new Inter-Municipal Agreement with the Town of Greenburgh
TAXPAYERS IN DOBBS FERRY AND GREENBURGH TO SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
Effective September 1, 2011, the Town of Greenburgh and the Village of Dobbs Ferry, one of the six villages in the town, will implement a collaborative agreement to reduce the cost of assessment services by eliminating duplicative requirements. Currently, the Town Assessor assesses property in the entire town, including properties in the six villages, to set the assessment for county, town and school tax purposes, as required by New York State law. The Village, having its own assessment roll, has in the past retained its own Assessor to set the assessment for the Village’s tax purposes. The collaborative agreement, called an Inter-Municipal Agreement (“IMA”), between the town and village was initiated in an effort to significantly reduce the cost of assessment services for property owners in Dobbs Ferry, while ensuring all costs associated with implementing the agreement are covered. The IMA will also eliminate the confusion to property owners in Dobbs Ferry with regard to having two assessor’s doing essentially the same function.
Since the town is not charged by New York State law to perform assessments for a village’s separate roll, Town of Greenburgh and Village of Dobbs Ferry officials have authorized the IMA in order to effectuate this new procedure. The Village will pay to the town the sum of $10,000 annually, which will cover implementation costs associated with this agreement. as a The IMA is expected to reduce the cost of Dobbs Ferry’s assessment services by approximately $20,000 per annum.
Speaking on behalf of the Village, Mayor Hartley Connett commented “Dobbs Ferry is grateful for the support of the Town Supervisor and the entire Town Board for supporting this shared service initiative. This collaboration will save tax dollars for Dobbs Ferry residents and improve the overall efficiency of the tax assessment process."
The Village of Dobbs Ferry plans to continue to work with the other Villages and the Town of Greenburgh to find shared service opportunities that benefit taxpayers.
It’s my hope that this agreement will lead to more cost sharing initiatives between the town of Greenburgh and the villages. We need to reduce costs, share administrative responsibilities. This agreement is a positive initiative to make government more efficient.
PAUL FEINER, Greenburgh Town Supervisor