Mossy Bank action could hurt Haverling
Mary Perham THE LEADER

BATH - Bath town and village officials will meet Monday to officially remake the local map.

At the meeting, town officials are expected to formally allow the village to annex the 170-acre Mossy Bank Park, which belongs to the village but is located off County Route 10 in the town.

The move will take the park off tax rolls and reduce Haverling Central School's pot of revenues by about $3,000.

Annexation of the park has been discussed off and on by the municipalities for years. The village also paid $4,000 for an annexation study, said village Mayor David Wallace.

One key reason to change the current arrangement has been Steuben County tax rules, which meant the village periodically paid taxes on its park to the town, county and school.

This year, taxes on the property, which is valued at $101,900, would total more than $5,000, according to village Treasurer Shirley Sowersby.

But county legislators agreed earlier this year not to tax both Mossy Bank and Champlin Beach, which is owned by the village of Hammondsport and located in the town of Urbana.

Legislators said the two public properties provide services to all county residents and should be tax exempt.

The county's action spurred ongoing annexation talks between the town and village, as a way to make the park permanently tax free from the town and school district.

Wallace appealed to the school district's board of education three years ago to remove the property from its tax rolls, but so far the board has taken no action on his request.

At the time of Wallace's request, the district had its own financial woes. Reduced state aid, educational programs and rapidly increasing insurance and pension costs strained the district budgets for several years. In 2002, voters rejected the district budget twice, forcing school officials to drastically cut expenses and programs.

Haverling Central School Business Director Roger Parulski said the district expects to collect about $3,036 in taxes on the property this year. If the park becomes tax exempt, a similar amount will have to be spread out over all the taxpayers in the district next year, he said.

"Now, admittedly, that's not a huge amount," Parulski said. "I honestly do not recall anyone asking for a tax exemption, but it we're the only ones charging taxes then it certainly should come up before the board to decide."

Wallace said the village prefers to annex the park, guaranteeing it will be permanently tax-exempt.

"We've certainly already put enough time and energy, and money, into it," Wallace said.