Public education inventories: Tools, forums and personnel
The inventories below are intended to assist assessors and county property tax directors with improving taxpayer understanding of the assessment function. Please contact ORPTS with questions or suggestions.
Public education tools for local officials
- Pamphlets
- Videos
- PowerPoint presentations
- Booklets
- Public relations guidance for assessors
- Learn about assessments and property taxes online
Pamphlets can be used as:
- enclosures in assessment notification mailings,
- handouts at public education sessions/board meetings,
- information for your town board/city council/county committee.
In addition, your website can include links to the brochures and you can make the pamphlets available in your office.
Reassessment pamphlets
- How estimates of market value are determined for residential properties
- Reassessment: Questions and answers
Assessment administration pamphlets
- Municipal options for more efficient assessment administration
- The job of the assessor
- Certified county directors of real property tax services
- How the property tax works
- The real property tax cycle
- Understanding the equalization rate: A guide for property owners
- Fair assessments: A guide for property owners
- Assessments vs taxes: What's the difference?
Exemption pamphlets
- Exemption for persons with disabilities and limited income
- Senior citizens property tax exemption
- Veterans Exemption
Videos
Videos can be used to educate taxpayers, as well as your fellow local officials.
PowerPoint presentations
PowerPoint slide shows can be very helpful for explaining complex information to an audience. Charts, graphs and text can be displayed visually, which makes it is easier for your audience to understand the material. If a laptop computer and a projector are not available, the presentation can be printed and distributed to the audience.
While too large to be used in most mailings, booklets are similar to pamphlets in that they can be linked to from local web pages and distributed at meetings to taxpayers and local officials.
Booklets
- Contesting your assessment in New York State
- Self-review guide for assessing units (Guidelines for effective assessment administration in New York State)
- Self-review guide for counties (Guidelines for effective assessment administration in New York State)
- Level of assessment determination – An owner's manual
Public relations guidance for assessors
- Public relations recommendations for assessors
- Guidelines for working with reporters: An assessor's guide to positive press
- How to conduct public education sessions: A guide for assessors
- Working with municipal boards during reassessments
Learn about assessments and property taxes online
The individuals section of our website includes a section entitled Learn about assessments and property taxes for taxpayers. You can print off individual web pages, or include this link on your local websites and publications.
Public relations forums
There are many opportunities to practice good public relations. The most direct chance you'll have to help someone understand assessments is when a taxpayer walks into your office.
Other opportunities include:
- Public education sessions,
- benevolent organizations (Kiwanis, Rotary, Elks, etc.),
- Town Board, City Council meetings,
- cable public access stations,
- public broadcasting stations,
- municipal, county websites,
- Municipal newsletters.
Public education personnel
Rather than "doing it alone," there are many individuals who may be of assistance in your public relations efforts, including:
- Assessors,
- county directors,
- ORPTS customer service teams,
- Other ORPTS staff,
- supportive town supervisors,
- supportive assessors or local officials from other municipalities,
- reassessment contractors.
