Freedom of Information Law FAQ >>
The most frequently asked questions about the public's right to government records.

Open Meetings Law FAQ >>
The most frequently asked questions regarding the public's

Volume 10 - Opinions of Counsel SBRPS No. 80

10 Op.Counsel SBRPS No. 80

Assessment review, Board of (powers and duties)(late, defective and insufficient complaints - dismissal) - Real Property Tax L

New York State Law requires all properties in your municipality (except in New York City and Nassau County) to be assessed at a uniform percentage of market value each year. This means that all taxabl

§ 575. Assessor's annual reports. The assessor shall annually file with the state board reports which shall include information relating to changes in levels of assessed valuation, changes in the cond

§ 556. Refunds and credits of taxes. 1. (a) Pursuant to the provisions
  of  this  section,  an  appropriate  tax  levying body may refund to any
  person the amount of any tax paid by him or her, or po

(5) Public participation

Opportunities for public participation in all aspects of the program, including the use of public notices and opportunities for comment, nomination procedures, public hearings

16 U.S.C. § 1457. Public hearings (Section 311)

All public hearings required under this chapter must be announced at least thirty days prior to the hearing date. At the time of the announcement, all a

The following consists of an alphabetical listing of judicial determinations involving the interpretation of the Open Meetings Law that may be of precedential value. The listing includes a brief summa

§84. Legislative declaration.
The legislature hereby finds that a free society is maintained when government is responsive and responsible to the public, and when the public is aware of governmental a

As a general rule, repairs are not considered as increasing the value of property while improvements normally do. An improvement made to property should be reflected in the assessment of the property.

In this regard, we note that although the Open Meetings Law provides the public with the
right “to observe the performance of public officials and attend and listen to the deliberations
and decisions

Item 9) indicates that individuals “will have up to 5 minutes to speak to the Board.”  In my opinion, 5 minutes may be unnecessarily long, particularly if there are many speakers.  More typical is a l

In the context of your inquiry, assuming that the Board of Trustees and/or the Mayor as presiding officer permit those who wish to speak to do so for a particular period of time, each person who wishe

The U.S. Congress recognized the importance of meeting the challenge of continued growth in the coastal zone by passing the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) in 1972. This act, administered by NOAA,