Syracuse City Board of Assessment Review Meeting - February 10, 2026
Syracuse City Board of Assessment Review Meeting - February 10, 2026
The Syracuse City Board of Assessment Review convened on February 10, 2026, at 1:25 PM (13:25:49 UTC) to hear petitions from property owners challenging their tentative assessments. The meeting, chaired by Joe Saya, included three hearings, one of which was adjourned due to the petitioner's absence. No formal decisions were announced; notices will be mailed in early April. The board also reminded petitioners about potential exemptions and directed concerns about city service fees to the Common Council.
Discussion Items (Individual Hearings)
2020-22 Bellevue Avenue – Two-Family Residence
- Petitioner (owner-occupant of the first floor) argued that the second-floor apartment is not habitable (no kitchen, no electric meter, disconnected furnace) and that the property should be assessed as a single-family home. He also disputed a sidewalk fee, stating he has no public sidewalk.
- Assessor (Mike Small) defended the current tentative assessment of $90,000 (full market value $173,077), noting the property was purchased for $58,500 in 1997 and has had a new $8,000 driveway. He provided comparable sales showing similar properties selling for well over $100,000. He stated the non-use of the second floor is the owner's choice and does not warrant revaluation.
- Board discussion: The board considered reclassifying the property to single-family but the petitioner declined, fearing it would reduce marketability. No change in classification was made during the hearing. The board requested additional comparables from the assessor but noted the current assessment stands.
134-136 West Ostrander Avenue – Two-Family Residence
- Petitioner (retired pastor, age 62) explained that his son, who suffers from mental illness, lives on the second floor and cannot live with others. The first-floor apartment is vacant due to past tenant conflicts and damage; utilities (gas, electric) are turned off. He requested a lower assessment because he receives no rental income.
- Assessor stated the tentative assessment increased from $41,000 to $47,000 as part of a neighborhood adjustment. Comparables supported a market value in line with the assessment.
- Board response: The board acknowledged the difficult personal situation but noted that personal circumstances, including income or health, are not criteria for adjusting assessed value. The petitioner mentioned recent roof and electrical work. No decision was reached.
51-05 Skyline Drive (Attached Parcel) – No Show
- Petitioner did not appear. The board read in the property: tentative assessed value of $300 (land only), full market value $577. The petitioner had claimed a fair market value of $174. The assessor provided comparables supporting the current assessment as appropriate. The hearing was closed in the petitioner's absence.
Key Outcomes
- No decisions were rendered during the open session. The board will deliberate in executive session and mail notices to petitioners during the first week of April 2026.
- Suggestions: The board advised the first petitioner to contact his Common Councilor regarding sidewalk and street-sweeping fees, and to check with the assessor’s office about additional exemptions (senior, military, enhanced STAR). The second petitioner was similarly encouraged to explore exemptions.
- Future proceedings: The board announced it will reconvene the following morning (February 11, 2026) for additional hearings.
Meeting Transcript
Today is February tenth. And this is the uh welcome to the Syracuse City uh Board of Assessment Review. Just wanted to remind everybody that uh these meetings are uh uh carried live over YouTube and uh all ours are also recorded so you can view them at a later date. Uh so with that, I'll uh we'll do the roll call. My name is Joe Saya. Thank you very much. Um, and I think we have our first petitioner here if you want to come on up and uh have a seat. How are you? Okay. All right. That is correct. There is a does that on there. There is a difference between what you said and four thirty-six Alaska Road rear. Okay, yep. And uh it does say rear uh my apologies. It does say rear on the uh holder, and I'll address it as such going forward here, yes. And I appreciate you pointing it out. Um so let me uh uh swear yourself in and the assessor also. Uh and it's just because uh we do it in the morning here as far as the assessors concerned. Um and so if you could raise your right hand, both of you uh state your name for the record. Mike Small Nikki. Do you both uh affirm to tell the truth and give accurate information to the best of your ability? Yes. Okay, very good. All set there. Um so let me read uh the first one in any particular order or Belleview is okay to start off with. Okay. Very good. Start off then with Belle View, and we'll take it from there. So it's 2020-22 Bellevue Avenue. Uh this is a two-story house. Um let me just verify some information here. Um so I have a current uh total tentative assessment of $90,000 with a land value of $15,100. Um that would be an assessed value. I'm sorry, a full market value of 173,000 $7. Now on your petition, uh you didn't put anything as far as a fair market value is concerned. What your estimate of fair market value is. Um so we need to know your your your uh uh grieving the assessed value, I assume. Whatever it is, whatever I have to grieve to lower my taxes, I don't know. Okay. I've never been here before, so I'm not totally familiar with the uh I'm not familiar with the process at all. That's fine. Um so in that highlighted area, if you would just write down what you believe the property is worth. If you could sell the property today, you know, what do you think you could get for it? And you can take a few minutes to think about it because that's what we go off of, and that's how we uh come into the assessed value. Okay. Um so I'll have somebody give me an assessed value on a hundred thousand dollars even you figure no. Yeah, what's the what's the rate this year? Okay, so 52.5, I assume. Okay.
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