Credit: Mary Jenkins
At its meeting on Monday, Dec.16, the Milan Town Board unanimously approved Local Law #5 of 2024, which makes the tax assessor a board-appointed — rather than an elected — position.
Council members couldn’t agree on bringing two subsequent motions up for a vote: one to appoint Patricia Warren as part-time deputy assessor and the other to advertise for an assessor aide, a clerical position.
Credit: Mary Jenkins
“We need more discussion,” board member Kevin Pike said. “I want to know what the Supervisor’s vision for the assessor’s office is. Did we even advertise for a full-time assessor?”
Council member Willam Jeffway agreed, “There are just too many loose ends,” he said. “We need a separate meeting to discuss this in detail.”
Town Supervisor Al LoBrutto said he created the proposed deputy assessor post after learning that neighboring towns had not been able to fill full-time slots. “Using part-time deputy assessors has worked well for them; it made sense for us to do the same thing,” he said. Warren, currently serving as assessor aide, would become the deputy assessor; a new hire would be sought to fill her vacated post. Board member Jack Campisi said the deputy assessor position had been advertised.
Unable to reach a decision, the board postponed the vote pending a special meeting, open to the public, at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 20. “But we have to get this done soon,” said LoBrutto. “There is just too much work for one tax assessor. We need someone to help, to go out and do field work.”
In other business, a motion was approved to provide part-time town employees with up to six days of paid sick leave yearly. The board agreed to hire Janelli Security to provide fire alarms and other safeguards for town buildings; and the supervisor was authorized to sign an agreement with the Pine Plains Animal Shelter to use their facilities in 2025. Motions to set dates for both the reorganization meeting and the 2024 town audit were approved.
