VOICE TRANSCRIPT: Democratic candidates in Elbridge split on town’s tax assesments
Keleigh: In the town of Elbridge, many residents say their property tax assessments have spiked, some reporting bills nearly tripled. Longtime councilman Douglas Bloomer says the reassessment was necessary to keep property values in line with state requirements. It was a board’s decision to have a re-evaluation done.
Douglas Blumer- Town Councilor: It was a board’s decision to have a re-evaluation done. Our equalization rate was getting close to 68 percent. However, the board legally and ethically cannot interfere with the actual assessment of the property.
Keleigh: First-time candidate Diana Slyerton says the lack of accountability sparked her decision to run after watching her neighbors struggle to keep their homes.Diana Sleiertin- Democratic Candidate: I have an elder that I take care of. She’s in her home that she has lived in since she was a child. But it doesn’t mean the house is worth $150,000. And if she’s taxed out of that, where does she go? And that’s a concern to me.
Keleigh: Blumer admits communication could have been better and plans to implement an email blasting system.
Douglas Blumer- Town Councilor: The resident still has to call the town clerk and sign up for it initially. Once she’s signed up, it’s all an automatic process.
Diana Sleiertin- Democratic Candidate: Make sure that they get mailings. Maybe make sure they get visits. There are a lot of different ways that you can go old school and not need technology.
Keleigh: For Elbridge voters, it’s about trust and transparency–and Pat McPete sayS the previous administration mishandled both.
Pat McPeak: I think there has to be more conversation between the powers that be in their presentation and in their reaction to the taxpayers. Both candidates agree the tax system needs clarity, but differ on outreach. The choice is now in voters’ hands.
ELBRIDGE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Two Democratic candidates in Elbridge approached this year’s town council election from opposite sides of a shared issue: the town’s property tax assessments. The reassessment, led by Town Assessor Mike Maxell, sparked outrage among residents during a 2021 town hall meeting where homeowners voiced concerns over steep increases to their property values.
For first-time candidate Diana Sleiertin, the reassessment symbolized a lack of accountability. For longtime councilman Douglas Blumer, it represented compliance with state law — and a lesson in communication.
“It was a board’s decision to have a reevaluation done, because our equalization rate was getting close to 68 percent. However, the board legally and ethically cannot interfere with the actual assessment of the property,” Blumer said.
According to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, an equalization rate is the state’s measure of a municipality’s level of assessment used to compare local property values and maintain fairness across communities.
“The mistakes we made [were] perhaps we weren’t as transparent enough or getting the word out to the community about the reveal,” Blumer said.
Some attendees said their bills had doubled or even tripled, while others accused the board of failing to provide adequate notice before the changes took effect. Sleiertin, who describes her platform as built on transparency, passion and accountability, said the reassessment and how previous administration decisions were handled pushed her to run.
“Specifically, it was the tax assessment situation that really sort of spurred everything into action, not just by me, by a lot of other people as well,” she said.
From her experience, the process left many older residents without internet access, feeling excluded from key updates.
“I have elders that don’t even know how to use a cell phone. So what do you do for those people? There has to be an answer; they’re still taxpaying citizens. They still have a right to have a voice,” Sleiertin said.
Sleiertin also pointed to the impact on long-term homeowners, one that she has taken care of.
“There are elders in this community that absolutely they’re legacy families… but it doesn’t mean the house is worth $150,000. If she’s taxed out of that, where does she go?,” she said.
Blumer, who previously ran as a Republican but campaigned this year as a Democrat after losing his party’s primary for town supervisor, said his priorities remain affordability, housing and communication.
“The first issue I plan on tackling, I would certainly like to try to improve the communication and openness of the town board to the constituent,” he said.
While Blumer defended the reassessment, he agreed residents deserve clearer explanations of tax changes.
“We just try to keep looking for every new venue that we can to try to get the word out,” he said.
In the end, Elbridge voters sided with the Republican slate…
According to the Onondaga County Board of Elections, Jeremy C. Chilson and Mary J. Davis, both running on the Republican and Conservative lines, won the two open Town Council seats. Chilson led with 706 votes (30.67%), Davis followed with 638 votes (27.72%), Blumer finished third with 553 votes (24.02%) and Sleiertin received 400 votes (17.38%).
Sleiertin said that, despite the results, her campaign opened the door for more community involvement.
“We need to get back to some old-school values — checking in on neighbors and helping each other out,” she said.