I would like to introduce myself to the residents of the Town of Putnam Valley. My name is Sheryl Luongo and I have been appointed to be the Assessor for our town. I have lived in Putnam Valley for over 40 years and the past 23 years have been spent working in the Assessor’s office. When I am not at work or spending time with my husband, Louie, I volunteer for the Putnam Valley Volunteer Fire Department as an exterior firefighter and the Putnam Valley Ambulance Corps as an EMT.

Assessors must be knowledgeable about valuation and current assessment practices and procedures in order to provide taxpayers with an equitable assessment roll. My knowledge of real estate comes from my experience as a real estate salesperson for over 40 years, working as the Putnam Valley Deputy Assessor and from formal training. I have taken over 150 hours of initial classroom instruction, completed the Basic Certification Program for the office of Assessor and renew my Assessor’s certificate by completing the required 12 hours of continuing education each year.

I would like to give you a broad overview of the duties of the Assessor. Taxes are the largest revenue for local governments in the State of New York. The amount of taxes a property owner pays is based on the value of that property. It is my job to determine that value. Real Property Tax Law Section 305 states that “all real property in each assessing unit shall be assessed at a uniform percentage of value.” In order to determine your assessment each year, your property is compared to similar properties that have sold and a value is determined based on those sales. A notice is sent to all property owners around May 1 each year of their new assessment for the upcoming tax year.

It is also my responsibility to oversee the collection and eligibility of all exemptions. Exemption applications will be taken by my office on or before March 1st of each year. This deadline is strictly enforced by the State of New York. If you are not sure if you are entitled to an exemption or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Exemptions applications can be found on this website and are available for download.

If you have any questions about your assessment or exemptions, I will be happy to answer them for you. I am available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

– Sheryl Luongo, Town Assessor