Biography

This web site is driven by a reaction to a perceived excessive increase in assessments in Fort Ann, Washington county, New York.

Dedicated to Dr. Tsion Ben-Judah; rabbinical scholar

I, LeRoy “Roy” Harrison, since 1941, have over the years been very successful in having bureaucratic decisions reversed. While I seldom promote my credentials in public, this challenging assessment procedures requires an exception. Over my life I have had a wealth of experiences including from the crafts certified electronic journeyman. Some of these include production, Medical electronic research, expediting for both entertainment and commercial electronic servicing, teaching and then vocational supervision as principal. I have suppervised up to seventeen trade offerings with a six figure budget. My earlier education portfolio contains numerous workshops, in-house service training, correspondence courses, and seminars for electronic repair.

My more formal education is Industrial Electronics from Hudson Valley CC Troy, and Heating/Air Conditioning and Ventilation From Adirondack CC Queensbury. Then most formal is a B.S. in Vocational Technical Education, Suma Cum Laude from SUNY Utica/Rome; an M.A. in Liberal Studies from SUNY Plattsburgh; and a graduate certificate in Public Administration from SUNY Rockefeller Albany. I also have significant post graduate credits from NYS enhancement programs. In addition I hold permanent NYSED teaching license for vocation technical education, School Administrator and Supervisor (SAS) certificate and School District Administrator (SDA) certificate.

My success rate for challenges is between 90 and 95% for both the public and the private sector. A section later in this paper will outline strategies for a successful challenge.

I am posting this web site because the revisions from 2008 to 2009 increased exponentially. This increase appears driven more to indicate an inflated property value and to justify higher tax revenue. Both actions are detrimental to the rate payer. Analysis will demonstrate significant variations in identical land and structure assessments. Comparison between the two accounting systems offers the choice between an apparent market value and an actual replacement value.

Some people apparently are concerned about deflated property value thus would not support this cause. On the other hand actual cost basis will reduce the property value without deflating property value. A property will still be sold on utility value amenities which a buyer may feel is unique or simply do not want to duplicate in a new structure. The immediate effect is to: 1. Value every property on actual replacement costs regardless of where that property is located. Similar floor plans should be equally valued regardless of location. 2. Land values would be predetermined and published. Raw land would have a set value, as amenities are added value would increase. For example forest land with no marketable amenities would be lower than property with mature trees ready for harvest. Land would be valued by characteristics such as hypnotically a fifty-acre plot with twenty-five acres of tillable farm, fifteen acres of swamp, and ten acres of forest. Residential lots would have equal value based on clusters or zoning. An undeveloped plot would have minimum value, while amenities such as utilities, water, septic-sewer and road characteristics factored appropriately would increase both value and assessment.

Should anyone believe that their assessment is excessive or unequal with others, please read on.

I have not published a web site in quite a while. This needs to be seriously edited, however, I feel that the information distribution is more pressing. I have been organizing this data since early spring. There is more data to be added such as structure analysis.

Please distribute freely to as many people as possible. While the emphasis is on Fort Ann, Washington county I cannot believe this is isolated here.

We look forward to working with you! Contact us via e-mail at rr12827@hotmail.com .