BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Despite a massive city-wide revaluation that raised property values in the city by $86 million in 2023, Ogdensburg is not at 100 percent equalization, the city assessor said at a recent council meeting.

A controversial citywide reassessment performed by GAR Associates raised the city's total property values by nearly 30% percent from $281 million to $367 million in a single year.

Some property owners saw increases of more than three-times their previous assessment, others saw decreases.

The goal was to ensure that assessed property values in the city were fair and where they should be relative to market value.

During the reassessment grievance period hundreds of city residents sought reductions complaining of inaccurate information used by GAR. The firm said most of the data collection did not involve a lot of field work, but rather utilized existing data and drones.

The city's assessor also resigned amid the reevaluation process.

Now in 2025 the city's new assessor says the city is now only at 97% equalization rate, according to New York State Real property.

Ideally communities keep their valuation at 100%. 

When communities fail to do so, the state uses an equalization rate to determine the difference and property owners are still forced to pay that difference.

Additionally, falling below a certain threshold of true valuation can lead to a loss in state aid, and while the city is not near the threshold, City Manager Fonda Chronis wants to keep it that way.

Chronis said 3% is “relatively immaterial,” but it's a trend that needs to be turned around before the gap grows larger.

Ogdensburg Assessor LaChelle Dilcox said she's working with the city manager to come up with a plan to get the city back to the number.

She said the goal is to use in-house resources to achieve that goal going forward to avoid the need for a massive city-wide reassessment and outside firms.

She said traditionally the full-time assessor was able to complete revaluations by neighborhood.

"I'm not sure where that fell apart," she said.

Upon request from councilor Jennifer Stevenson, Dilcox attempted to explain how equalization rates worked.

She said that when properties are sold higher than their assessment rate the state uses a formula to determine whether the city assessed value is at market value. If the assessments are not on par with sales, the state will make an adjustment to the rate.

Councilor Dan Skamperle asked if people were still reaching out about the revaluation.

She said there have been a lot, especially due to people who had taxes held in escrow.

She said banks were finally catching up with the changes in assessment and the impact that has had on property taxes.

"I just started here in January and I've had a lot of people come in and talk to me about their assessment they received from GAR," she said.

She noted that after discussions most people seemed to better understand what their assessments were and why.

"I don't think a lot of people were prepared for the change in their escrow," she said.

Dilcox noted that tentative assessments are out now and those who have received adjustment notices that they think aren’t accurate have the ability to challenge them.

She said those unhappy with changes in their assessment may meet with the assessor to attempt to work out a stipulated agreement. If that fails they can take their complaints to the bBoard of Assessment Review.

Grievance Day is June 10 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. or 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

If property owners are still unhappy with their assessment, they can challenge it in small claims court.

The final assessment comes out no later than August. 1.

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