Geneva residents packed City Council this week with a blunt message: Rising assessments are deepening worries about taxes, affordability and whether long-term residents can afford to stay in the city.
The discussion came after preliminary reassessment notices were mailed to property owners, prompting enough concern that city officials added a public comment period and a detailed explanation of the assessment process to the meeting.
Mayor Jim Cecere opened the discussion by acknowledging residents’ anger and anxiety, while also saying the city had failed to communicate clearly enough before notices went out. He said council had not received a full presentation on the reassessment methodology, expected impacts or public messaging before letters were mailed.
City Assessor Tina Redis said the reassessment was driven by market data and concerns about inequities in the tax roll. She said the city reviewed assessment neighborhoods based on recent sales, with three of four assessment neighborhoods adjusted while one did not require changes.
Redis said the goal was not to raise revenue, but to bring properties closer to full market value and avoid having some owners carry more of the tax burden while other properties remained undervalued. She said sales from 2024 through early 2026 were used, with older sales adjusted to reflect current market trends.
Residents questioned that methodology repeatedly, saying comparable sales used in some assessments did not reflect their actual neighborhoods, property conditions or home improvements. Several residents asked why Geneva was reassessing again just two years after the last citywide reassessment, and whether homeowners should expect the process every two years going forward.
Others said the increases were extreme. One resident cited assessment jumps ranging from 40% to 105% on a single street. Another said his assessment rose 96%.
Much of the public feedback focused less on the technical assessment process and more on the broader cost of living in Geneva. Residents warned that higher assessed values, even if tax rates later fall, could still drive up bills for some households, especially older residents on fixed incomes.
Several speakers said younger people and families are already being priced out of the city. One longtime Geneva resident said his daughter was hesitant to buy a home locally because she feared repeated assessment increases.
Council members and city staff also discussed the distinction between assessments and taxes. Redis said higher assessments expand the city’s tax base, which should lower the tax rate per $1,000 of assessed value. She pointed to the previous reassessment, when the city tax rate dropped from $17.25 to $12.16 per $1,000 after the roll returned to full value.
But residents and some council members pushed back on the practical effect, noting that a lower tax rate does not guarantee a lower tax bill if an individual property’s assessment rises sharply.
City Manager Amie Hendrix (who announced her resignation late this week) said the assessment function is intentionally separate from budget development. She said the assessor’s office determines values, while the city budget and tax levy are handled separately through the budget process.
That distinction became one of the clearest takeaways from the meeting: reassessments redistribute the tax burden, but council’s budget decisions ultimately determine how much money the city raises through property taxes.
Residents also raised concerns about tax-exempt properties, particularly properties owned by Hobart and William Smith Colleges and other nonprofit entities. One speaker urged the city to look more aggressively at how much property has come off the tax rolls and whether more revenue could be obtained from institutions that benefit from city services.
Cecere said the meeting would not change assessments that night, but he called for a more formal process going forward. He said council should receive a reassessment plan well before notices are mailed, along with annual reports covering methodology, equalization rates, grievance outcomes, notification thresholds and the broader impact on taxpayers.
The city’s grievance process remains the formal path for property owners who want to challenge their assessments.
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