Last week, the Spencer-Van Etten Central School District was informed by Chemung County Real Property Tax Services that an error had been made in the county’s preparation of the tax roll. As a result, inaccurate information was used for some 2025-26 school tax bills.
The error affects 26 taxpayers in the Town of Van Etten who successfully contested their property assessments and had their assessments lowered. Those residents received incorrect tax bills.
Upon discovery of the issue, the district immediately began working with its attorneys, GST BOCES, Chemung County Real Property Tax Service, and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance to address the situation.
The Board of Education will take formal action at its September 11 meeting to acknowledge the clerical error so that the affected taxpayers are eligible for corrections. Chemung County is coordinating with the Town of Van Etten assessor to streamline the correction process. The district will mail amended tax bills to the 26 taxpayers involved.
Under the provisions of Real Property Tax Law, taxpayers may pay the corrected amount on the amended bill without interest or penalty before Sept. 30, 2025, or within eight days of the mailing of the corrected bill, if that timeframe extends beyond Sept. 30.
The district emphasized that it is working diligently to resolve the issue, which also affected two other school districts with properties in Chemung County.
Residents with questions may contact the Spencer-Van Etten Business Office at (607) 589-7104 or Chemung County Real Property Tax Service at (607) 737-2989.