NYS Equalization Rate leaves some Suffolk County taxpayers fuming
People who live in the Suffolk County portions of Farmingdale and Amityville School Districts face higher school tax bills due to NYS rules adjusting property values.
More Stories
Imagine getting a school tax bill that went up 17%. Now imagine finding out your neighbor isn't paying the same amount.
That's the reality for Suffolk County residents in the Farmingdale and Amityville school districts, who are facing paying higher tax bills, while their Nassau County counterparts are not.
It's all due to the New York state equalization rate, which measures how accurate a town's property value assessment is. That's used to determine the fair market value for allocating taxes.
In the Farmingdale school district, which is divided across the Nassau-Suffolk border, their valuation is done by Nassau County, which has rates that are frozen, and the Town of Babylon, which reported an increase in the market.
Town of Babylon residents in the Farmingdale school district picked up $5 million more of the tax levy. Amityville reported a $3 million increase.
The Town of Babylon says it is exploring all possible remedies as they seek a correction.
