JOHNSTOWN — Maple Knoll Apartments will receive a reduction in its assessment.
Maple Knoll Apartments previously filed a legal action in state Supreme Court against the city of Johnstown challenging its assessment.
The agreement was worked out through the Albany law firm of Girvin & Ferlazzo.
On Wednesday, the Greater Johnstown School District Board of Education approved the tax settlement.
The settlement calls for no increase in the apartment complex’s assessment for three years.
The apartments’ school, city and county taxes will be affected.
District Superintendent John S. Whelan provided media a copy of the stipulation of settlement, which indicates two parcels are in question — one previously assessed at $822,300 and another previously assessed at $830,800. The new assessment amounts will be $706,050 and $714,550 for those parcels. Both received a $116,250 drop in assessment.
The school district’s tax rate is $20.80 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. At that rate, the district could lose $4,825 for this year.
The city tax rate is $15.53 per $1,000. The total loss would be $3,602.
The county tax rate is $9.76 per $1,000. The total loss would be $2,264.
Maple Knoll is located at North East Avenue.
City Assessor Leamon Steele said today property tends to be worth more once the city gets farther away from the true state equalization rate.
The equalization rate in the city in 1990 was 100 percent, but it has dropped to 73 percent.
He said Maple Knoll Apartments challenged its assessments, and the result was the agreement.
“It was a pretty fair settlement,” Steele said. “It costs so much more to go to court.”
Maple Knoll’s attorneys were unavailable for comment.
In other reports, board Facilities Committee Chairman Scott Miller reported his panel met Wednesday with three Gloversville Enlarged School District officials. The Johnstown district is currently eyeing construction of a new bus garage and the Gloversville district has a neW garage.
He said his committee met with Gloversville Superintendent Robert DeLilli, and Board of Education President Kathy Hillock and Vice President Perry Paul.
“We discussed possible consolidation of services,” Miller said.
Audit Committee Chairman James Levin reported his panel has been discussing the 2008-09 school district budget, which will be finalized this spring. He said a budget workshop will be conducted at 5 p.m., March 19.
“Also, we have been looking at the business manager position,” Levin said.
Peter Hopke left that position, which is being handled on an interim basis by Robert Munn.
Levin said there are currently six candidates for the position.
Extra-Curricular Committee Chairman Robert Kosowicz reported the district successfully completed its winter sports program and three teams received academic honors - girls basketball, boys basketball and the boys ski team. He said the spring sports started practice Wednesday.
“Our numbers are great,” Kosowicz said, with nearly half the student body into some sport.
The district’s recent Family Fun Night was also well attended, he said.
Warren Street Elementary School Principal Anne Christiano and her students gave a “Character Counts” presentation of their school.
“Tonight. we would like to highlight the many ways that technology supports education,” she said.
The presentation included a rendition of the school song and Internet connections.
In regular action, the board approved a probationary appointment for technology teacher Michael Valovic. The appointment runs from April 21, 2008 to April 20, 2011.
The board also approved the Johnstown High School International Club’s trip to the Woodworth Lake Boy Scout Camp this weekend in Bleecker. Transportation is being provided by parents.
Michael Anich covers Fulton County and Johnstown. He can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com.
