BRIARCLIFF MANOR – State legislators and areas residents rallied outside Trump National Golf Club Westchester on Sunday in support of legislation to change how golf courses are assessed.
The legislation would give a community the option to assess golf courses on their highest and best use, which would give local assessors a more accurate assessment of the property and prevent taxpayers and school children from subsidizing golf courses.
At present, several golf courses in Westchester, including Trump National, are taking advantage of what Senator David Carlucci calls the “Country Club Loophole,” and filing grievances with their local governments over their tax assessments, knowing under current law, their private courses will be assessed like municipal golf courses.
He said his legislation would protect taxpayers and school districts from subsidizing people to play golf.
Carlucci pointed to the Trump golf course, which he said listed its value at $50 million on its financial disclosure form, yet when it filed for property taxes, it said it is worth only $1.5 million.
Should the Democrat-controlled state government approve the bill, Carlucci expected Trump to fight it.
“President Trump has done a remarkable job of exploiting loopholes, of taking every possible benefit that he can,” the senator said. “He has some very talented attorneys that have been able to manipulate the current laws on the books to benefit these very wealthy clubs, opulent organizations, the Trump National in particular, where it costs over a quarter-of-a-million-dollars just to become a member, and then to turn around and say the whole course is worth only $1.5 million.”
Carlucci said the legislation is not a state mandate; instead the decision is left up to local municipalities to change how they assess golf courses.”
Assemblywoman Sandy Galef noted two golf courses in the Town of Ossining are taking advantage of the loophole “in order to pay a lot less in taxes, shifting the burden to local residents.”
She said that cannot go unchecked. “This bill gives municipalities a leg to stand on if a golf course in their community intentionally lowers the value of their property to reduce their tax burden.”
