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Last Updated: 27 May 2022 27 May 2022
So ends another week! Hope you enjoyed the cooler weather and are ready for it to heat up yet again.
Unfortunately, we once again had occasion to observe a moment of silence at the Town Board meeting this week. Tuesday’s shooting in Uvalde, Texas was disturbing and heartbreaking, especially given the age of most of the victims and coming so quickly on the heels of the shooting in Buffalo. It is long past time for our nation’s leaders to take concrete action to stop the proliferation of guns, particularly assault weapons that enable killers to take dozens of lives in a matter of minutes.
Here in Ossining, we continue to make progress toward a greener, brighter future. With our colleagues in the State legislature wrapping up the 2022 session next week, I have signed on to a few letters advocating for the passage of critical legislation to incentivize and in some cases, require, clean heating and cooling and renewable sources of electricity in buildings. These efforts will move us closer to meeting the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, but it is so important that these efforts are financially and legislatively supported by New York State to make the conversion easier for homeowners and local governments. I am hopeful that our legislators will pull through to advance this legislation before the end of session.
We also continue important processes that maintain the fiscal health of our community. The Town has completed its annual assessment process for the 2022 assessment roll, and property owners will be receiving New York State Official Change of Assessment Notices in the mail soon. We continue to maintain accurate property assessments at 100% of full market value, as we have since 2016. Please contact the Assessor's office directly at 914-762-8274 if you require more information regarding your 2022 tentative assessment. We’ve also shared videos of Town Assessor Fernando Gonzalez explaining what’s coming in the mail on our Facebook and Instagram pages; click here to view it in English and here for Spanish.
We encourage you to visit the Assessor’s page on the Town website to view property information, a neighborhood map and an interactive sales map display to put your own assessment into context. Note that a change in your property’s assessment does not necessarily indicate that your taxes will change, since the assessment is just one of a few factors that determine tax liability. On average, most properties in the Town of Ossining saw an 11% increase in assessed value. If the increase in your assessed value is at or around an 11% increase, the proportion of your tax burden is not likely to change significantly, nor will your annual tax bill.
However, if you disagree with your full market value estimate, you are entitled to challenge your assessment through the Board of Assessment Review from June 1 through June 21st, 2022. Grievance applications (form RP-524) are available on the Assessor's page of the Town website. The Assessor's office is open from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday or you can e-mail your Grievance form and supporting documentation to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
No one likes taxes, but without them we wouldn’t have the schools, services and amenities that help us maintain our standard of living. Speaking of amenities - Our Parks Department is in the process of installing a new gaming area next to the pavilion at Ryder. Soon you’ll be able to enjoy lawn games there - consider the pavilion for a summer party!
Parks has also recently fixed a few of the beds at the Cedar Lane Community Garden! The wood was milled from trees that needed to be cut down in other parks.
We also continue to seek, and receive, grants that offset costs to taxpayers. This week, the Town Board also signed a contract enabling us to use $250,000 in grant funding from NYSERDA. These funds will allow us to purchase an online permitting software system to make it easier for residents to apply for building permits and increase transparency of our permitting process. The remaining funds will be used for clean energy projects–we have so many on our list! We are still looking over our options and where the money can be best spent to maximize value and positive impact for the environment.
Speaking of grant-funded projects: be sure to give your input on our shoreline revitalization project! Let us know what you enjoy about the waterfront and how we can design it to be more resilient using this survey link. This survey closes at the end of May, which is rapidly approaching!
This weekend we observe Memorial Day, a time to pause and remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. This year, Ossining and Briarcliff celebrations will return to in person parades. Ossining’s will step off at 9:30am at Croton Ave and Calam Ave, ending at Nelson Park where Ossining’s local veterans will hold a remembrance ceremony. Briarcliff’s parade will take a new route this year, starting at Todd School at 11:45am, following Pleasantville Road to Law Memorial Park for a memorial service.
Please note that Town Offices will be closed on Monday, May 30 in observance of Memorial Day. Please check the Waste & Recycling calendar (or better yet, download the Recycle Right app!) to see if there will be any changes to your pickup schedule given the holiday. We also have a 5th Tuesday in May, so we will not be back with a Town Board meeting until June 7.
Memorial Day is also the unofficial start of summer, and the Spray Park in Engel Park is officially open as of now, for the long weekend, on schedule! (Once again thank you to our Parks staff for making sure it was ready to cool down our kids for the summer!) Cheers to the beginning of summer fun. If you are a business owner or other organization looking to purchase sponsorship in summer events like the Ossining Village Fair or our RiverJam concert series, click here for the Chamber’s Sponsorship Application - the deadline has been extended to June 6.
For more ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling! We will see you soon - till then, be safe and healthy.
--Dana
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Read more: Supervisor's Update - May 27, 2022
