Billionaire and philanthropist Tom Golisano is launching a campaign he calls ‘Tax My Property Fairly’ to help Upstate New York homeowners fight for lower property taxes.
The campaign has a website called TaxMyPropertyFairly.com which provides information about how New York property taxes compare with other states relative to property value, how Golisano claims the assessment process has become inequitable and how New Yorkers can challenge their assessments.
Golisano says he’s also launching a class action lawsuit on behalf of Upstate taxpayers who sold their homes for less than assessed value, seeking to recover what he says are tax overpayments they were forced to make as a result. Property owners who sold a home in the last five years can check that out on the new website. An ad campaign about it is starting this month.
Golisano says he’s trying to build a public swell of concern over the property tax process that will force a change. He says there’s no equity in how homes are assessed in New York.