RUSH, N.Y. — Residents in Rush and Henrietta are experiencing changes in their property assessments, sparking discussions about the impact on homeowners. News10NBC spoke with leaders from both towns to understand the situation.

Rush and Henrietta share an assessor, a move that saves Rush approximately $15,000 annually. “We signed up with Henrietta to do assessments,” said Dan Woolaver Town Supervisor of Rush. “The state’s encouraging shared services.”

Recently, the Rush town board attempted to suspend the reassessment process but was legally prevented from doing so.

Woolaver attributes this to the Coordinated Assessment Program with Henrietta. However, Henrietta Town Supervisor Stephen Shultz disagrees.

“The Coordinated Assessment Program really has nothing to do with it,” Shultz said. “It’s that they didn’t like their assessment and the town board tried to overturn it. That’s against the law.”

Shultz explained that while towns aren’t required to reassess, it’s beneficial for taxpayers to understand how much they need to pay.

“People say it’s a money grab. We don’t get one penny more in taxes for raising assessments,” he stated.

Shultz also highlighted concerns for lower-end homeowners.

“The entry-level homes are rising at a much faster rate than the high-end homes,” he said, noting that these homes will bear a larger portion of the tax levy due to their increased assessed value.

Both towns encourage residents with concerns about their reassessments to contact their shared assessor.

Brighton residents also have seen a jump in the valuation of their homes after recent property reassessments. A year ago, City of Rochester residents also got letters with reassessments.

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