Big turnout for Seneca tax protest

Standing room only!

Reacting to staggering increases in their real estate assessments, an estimated 150 unhappy South Seneca taxpayers jammed the Ovid fire hall last night.  Organized on the fly by a couple of local residents, a grass roots movement appears to have been launched in only a few weeks.

Modern revolutionaries?

Attendees raised two basic concerns.  First, the disconnect between a collapsing real estate market and skyrocketing tax assessments.  Second, seemingly incomprehensible inequities between the assessments of  local properties. 

At this very local level, its apparent that residents know more about various South Seneca properties than the tax assessor does.  The 2011 tax assessment was made with few or no actual visits to individual parcels, which has resulted in outrage felt by some of the affected residents.  The local tax assessor was not in attendance, probably for good reason. 

South Seneca elected officials should prepare for these rebels to jam every town board meeting from now on, and no doubt field their own candidates in upcoming elections.  We'll keep you posted.