The New York State Assembly Committee on Real Property Taxation is holding a hearing to explore measures that would enhance efficiency in the administration of real property taxation in an effort to create financial savings for New York State and local governments and improve service to taxpayers. The Committee is especially interested in examining how the greater utilization of technology in real property tax administration could help attain these goals.

In addition, the Committee would like to evaluate the success of two efficiency enhancing measures that were enacted this year. The first, which was part of the 2009-2010 enacted budget, created a hosting arrangement between the Office of Real Property Services (ORPS) and the Department of Taxation and Finance allowing ORPS to eliminate its Human Resources and Finance departments. As part of this hearing, the Committee is interested in investigating the effectiveness of this new arrangement specifically as to reducing agency spending.

The Committee also seeks to evaluate the effect of the implementation of A.7966 (Galef) /S.3639 (Squadron), which was signed into law as Chapter 275 of the Laws of 2009. The law authorized the Commissioner of the Department of Taxation and Finance (DT&F) to allow local governments to use an alternative means of providing notice to the agency for real property tax lien foreclosures. Prior to this legislation, local governments were required to send individual paper notifications to the DT&F for every real property tax lien foreclosure petition at a significant expense to local governments and the agency. This law allows DT&F the flexibility to agree to accept the transmittal of electronic summaries rather than individual paper notices from local governments in an effort to reduce clerical, postage and administrative costs. The Committee wishes to explore how the DT&F has utilized the change in law to streamline the tax lien foreclosure notification process.

Persons wishing to submit pertinent written testimony to the Committee at the above hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be accepted by invitation only and is limited to ten minutes duration. In preparing the order of witnesses, the Committee will attempt to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the attached reply form or communicated to Committee staff as early as possible. In the absence of a request, witnesses will be scheduled in the order in which reply forms are postmarked.

Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Committee would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements.

In order to further publicize these hearings and roundtable, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Committee's interest in receiving written testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.

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Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearing on Enhancing Efficiency in Real Property Taxation Administration are requested to complete this reply form by November 30, 2009 and mail it to: