Gerry Hires New Assessor, Switches Plan
By PATRICK L. FANELLI
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1/16/2007 - GERRY — Responding to sudden and unexpected property assessment increases throughout their rural town, Gerry officials have hired a new assessor and are altering the process that determines each resident’s property tax burden.
Kevin Okerlund, assessor for Cherry Creek and neighboring Charlotte, will add Gerry to the towns he is responsible for — an arrangement Gerry Supervisor John Crossley believes is more sensible than the town’s previous one.
‘‘They are very similar towns, very similar backgrounds of residents,’’ Crossley said. ‘‘We’re rural areas, and obviously we don’t have a lake.’’
The town’s previous assessor was DeaAnna Wheeler, who also covered the towns of Ellery and North Harmony — both of which include a large share of the valuable Chautauqua Lake waterfront. Property assessments spiked in both towns last summer — 16 percent in Ellery and 25 percent in North Harmony — causing widespread resentment among residents who faced significantly higher tax bills.
Assessments also increased 8 percent in Gerry, leading many residents to believe the situation would have been different had they had a new assessor.
In the end, town officials pressured Ms. Wheeler to resign and bought out her contract, which wouldn’t have expired until September, according to Sally Carlson, North Harmony supervisor. Gerry officials had already withdrawn from the joint assessment program that tied them to Ellery and North Harmony, enabling them to go their own separate way.
Okerlund, who also works as an appraiser for Jamestown under the city’s assessor, Randy Holcomb, believes it will work out well for Gerry residents.
‘‘I’m pretty sure land values are pretty close,’’ said Okerlund, who began his career in 1990 as an appraiser in Chautauqua and became an assessor three years later. ‘‘It will be a pretty nice set.’’
According to Okerlund, Gerry will add 1,400 parcels to the 1,200 he is already responsible for in Charlotte and Cherry Creek. He also said the arrangement will enable the village of Sinclairville — most of which is in Charlotte but some of which is in Gerry — to be covered by one assessor rather than two.
Besides hiring a new assessor, Gerry officials have also switched from re-evaluating property every year to every three years, which costs the town a few thousand dollars in incentives from the state but avoids annual increases for unlucky property owners.
‘‘That’s the plan for now,’’ Crossley said. ‘‘We’ll see how that goes and assess it after the three-year period. I think everything works out for the taxpayers.’’
Ellery and North Harmony officials hired Holcomb to replace Ms. Wheeler, who is still the assessor for the town of Stockton.
Unlike the previous arrangement with Ellery and North Harmony, Crossley noted that Gerry’s contract is not through Charlotte or Cherry Creek, but directly with Okerlund, giving town officials more control over the agreement.
Kevin Okerlund, assessor for Cherry Creek and neighboring Charlotte, will add Gerry to the towns he is responsible for — an arrangement Gerry Supervisor John Crossley believes is more sensible than the town’s previous one.
‘‘They are very similar towns, very similar backgrounds of residents,’’ Crossley said. ‘‘We’re rural areas, and obviously we don’t have a lake.’’
The town’s previous assessor was DeaAnna Wheeler, who also covered the towns of Ellery and North Harmony — both of which include a large share of the valuable Chautauqua Lake waterfront. Property assessments spiked in both towns last summer — 16 percent in Ellery and 25 percent in North Harmony — causing widespread resentment among residents who faced significantly higher tax bills.
Assessments also increased 8 percent in Gerry, leading many residents to believe the situation would have been different had they had a new assessor.
In the end, town officials pressured Ms. Wheeler to resign and bought out her contract, which wouldn’t have expired until September, according to Sally Carlson, North Harmony supervisor. Gerry officials had already withdrawn from the joint assessment program that tied them to Ellery and North Harmony, enabling them to go their own separate way.
Okerlund, who also works as an appraiser for Jamestown under the city’s assessor, Randy Holcomb, believes it will work out well for Gerry residents.
‘‘I’m pretty sure land values are pretty close,’’ said Okerlund, who began his career in 1990 as an appraiser in Chautauqua and became an assessor three years later. ‘‘It will be a pretty nice set.’’
According to Okerlund, Gerry will add 1,400 parcels to the 1,200 he is already responsible for in Charlotte and Cherry Creek. He also said the arrangement will enable the village of Sinclairville — most of which is in Charlotte but some of which is in Gerry — to be covered by one assessor rather than two.
Besides hiring a new assessor, Gerry officials have also switched from re-evaluating property every year to every three years, which costs the town a few thousand dollars in incentives from the state but avoids annual increases for unlucky property owners.
‘‘That’s the plan for now,’’ Crossley said. ‘‘We’ll see how that goes and assess it after the three-year period. I think everything works out for the taxpayers.’’
Ellery and North Harmony officials hired Holcomb to replace Ms. Wheeler, who is still the assessor for the town of Stockton.
Unlike the previous arrangement with Ellery and North Harmony, Crossley noted that Gerry’s contract is not through Charlotte or Cherry Creek, but directly with Okerlund, giving town officials more control over the agreement.
For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com
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