KINGSTON – A state comptroller’s office audit of Ulster County’s
procedures for handling property tax exemptions gave the county good grades.
The audit, for the period January 1, 2015 through July 22, 2016, reviewed
how the county employees recalculated non-exempt transfers of property
and made a handful of errors on the town property tax rolls.
The county finance department’s “procedures for pro-rating
property tax exemptions on transfers of property, correcting property
tax exemption errors and inputting tax exemption income limits were effective,”
auditors wrote in their report. “Appropriate documentation was obtained
and retained and income thresholds were properly recorded.”
The auditors commended county officials “for designing and implementing
effective controls over property tax exemptions.”
County Executive Michael Hein credited the work to county Finance and
Budget Director Burt Gulnick and Director of Real Property Tom Jackson.
“For many people it is not the most exciting topic but its critical
and it cuts to the heart of fairness when it comes to property taxes,”
he said. “The comptroller said they were top notch and I couldn’t
be more pleased.”
As a result of the audit, the state comptroller’s office had no
recommendations to make.
Gulnick said the “positive findings of this audit demonstrate the
professionalism of our Real Property tax Service agency.”
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