Glenville Supervisor Christopher Koetzele’s initiative to abolish the receiver of taxes position is moving forward as talks with a local bank begin.
The Glenville Town Board held a public hearing Wednesday, Feb. 1, on a proposed local law to eliminate the elected position following the former receiver of taxes Joan Menhinick’s abrupt departure in protest to budget cuts to the department.
If the position is removed, the town is planning to contract with a bank to provide tax collection services. Koetzle also revealed town officials are in talks with First National Bank of Scotia.
Koetzle and his fellow Town Board members have touted outsourcing tax collection duties to a bank as a way to reduce costs and enhance services for residents. The Republican board appears in support of the switch, but residents would have the final say on the abolishment of the receiver position in a referendum vote.
Savings from contracting with a bank are estimated to total $50,000. The town would keep an appointed part-time receiver at Town Hall. First National would offer online tax payments and extended hours compared to those offered at Town Hall.
“We would still have a Town Hall option for our residents … we would still have this as a point of service for any late payments and any questions on their tax bill,” Koetzle said. “We believe that although we have had a very good qualified person over the years it is better to make that position an appointed professional rather than a politically elected.”
Former Rotterdam comptroller Patrick Aragosa, a Glenville resident, was hired by the town to fill the vacancy as the busy January tax collection period started. Koetzle said there have discussions to keep Aragosa on staff as the part-time receiver moving forward. The board has expressed intentions to keep the position part time.
“He is very knowledgeable in this area,” Koetzle said. “If this stayed an elected position I would encourage him to run because he is that good.”
At the public hearing, Cathy Bern-Smith, second vice chairwoman of the Scotia-Glenville Democratic Committee, chided Menhinick for leaving her post.
“We think the former receiver of taxes did the taxpayers and the voters of Glenville a huge disservice by resigning,” she said. “She had a term to fulfill and she didn’t compete the term to which the voters elected her.”
Smith said she also wanted to “see on paper” exactly where the $50,000 savings is coming from.
Contracting with a bank is estimated to cost around $10,000, but Koetzle said the town should complete the two remaining collection periods of the year, with water in the summer and school in the fall, to determine the workload to establish a solid figure for 2013.
“We will have to get our best estimates for this year,” he said. “We won’t have hard numbers for 2013 until later in the year.”
Town officials are still trying to get the state attorney general’s blessing for the switch to happen immediately if voters approve the proposition. Currently, Koetzle said there is an opinion from the state comptroller supporting the immediate change mid-term, since the position was vacated.
“I think we all have to ask ourselves does it make sense to run an election for one year for a position that is not going to be there,” Koetzle said, “or do we just go ahead and gain the efficiencies that we can gain immediately.”
Town Attorney Michael Cuevas said an opinion from the attorney general is conflicting with the comptroller’s opinion, which contests the immediate switch and would require the town to hold a special election and not eliminate the position until the term is completed at the end of the year.
“I think we should reach out to the AG and get an opinion,” Koetzle said. “There is no law on this … all we have is opinion.”
The Town Board is set to vote on the local law during its next meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 15. If the local law is approved, the town would have to schedule a referendum vote within 60 days of the date of the adoption.
Wednesday’s meeting is starting earlier, at 7 p.m., to unveil the town’s 2012 Strategic Plan, which will include a presentation and time for residents to ask questions or share input.
