Saturday, September 01, 2007

Nailed in New Hartford!

New Hartford Online's Cathy has asked the NH Town Clerk to certify as accurate the 2007 Final Assessment Roll disks Cathy was given in response to her FOIL request. . . but Cathy can prove that what she was given was not the 2007 data.

This puts the Town Assessor between a rock and a hard place. He either has to certify something to the Town Clerk that is untrue, or admit that the 2007 Final Roll discs were false.

Because a timely response to her FOIL request has not been made, Cathy can deem this as a denial and take it to the next level . . .

And now the Town Board will be forced to deal with this tar-baby.

Read more on Insubordination....Part II.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Earle Reed does not remove Paul Smith, Town Assessor for dereliction to duty; then it becomes suspect that there is collusion at the highest levels of government within the Town of New Hartford, especially that of Robert Payne III.

I would like to see all Town residents ask for the Town Board's RESIGNATION!

Anonymous said...

I just happen to read the Town minutes from Cathy Lawrence's website which contains Town Board minutes that can be searched. These town minutes go back several years and contain interesting things about town officials.

One such official just happens to be that of Paul Smith, Assessor and Robert Payne who is to "rate" Mr. Smith as to his performance as town assessor.

Nothing like the proverbial fox guarding the chicken coop. Was it not Robert Payne III, who VOTED NO against the release of the 2007 Board Resolution giving Cathy Lawrence her legal right to this CD? Yes, it was. Now we have Mr. Payne (or should I say 'pain') who is being asked to rate Mr. Smith's annual performance. Smells like rotten fish to me.

Lastly, Mr. Smith's contract is up in September 2007 AND the TOWN BOARD will be voting on another seven (7) year contract for Mr. Paul Smith. If this contract is renewed...each town of New Hartford resident should file a complaint with the NYS Office of Real Property to DEMAND AN INVESTIGATION.

Nowhere but New Hartford can people see the destructive force in place by elected officials whose concerns lie more with big business than it does with the common, everyday citizen taxpayer...whose hard-earned monies are being used in questionable, if not illegal ways for favors to town officials and friends.

Interestingly, Longworth Realty has been given several stipulations by Paul Smith, Assessor. Guess what, where is the documentation to support these stipulations at REDUCED ASSESSMENTS? Seems like someone is getting FAVORED treatment in his/her properties which sell in excess of $90,000 per property. I wonder what town official owns this business and these properties? How can properties be ASSESSED for $5,000 - $10,000 and sold for nearly six figures? What kind of back room deals are going on here?

The above is but the tip of the iceberg as to cronyism that exists within the Assessor's office. It is rumored that one of Mr. Smith's staff is resigning because of his shenanigans. If true, it begs the question, "When will removal action take place against Paul Smith?"