Albion Village Board makes formal request for PILOT funds from county for acquiring property in village

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Legislature last year bought the former Bank of America on South Main Street, pictured at left,  to be used by the treasurer’s office. The county also bought the former GCC building to be used for probation and the district attorney’s office.

ALBION – The Albion Village Board is making a formal request to the Orleans County Legislature to make up the loss in property taxes for the village after the county acquired three properties in the village last year.

The board on Wednesday evening passed a resolution, calling on the County Legislature to make up the loss of at least $11,000 in property tax revenue for the village through a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes).

The properties won’t come off the tax rolls until next spring when the village sends out its tax bills.

In September the County Legislature approved spending $250,000 for the former Bank of America site at 156 S. Main St. It will become the treasurer’s office. That building has a drive-through and is more easily accessible than the current office on East Park Street, county officials said.

The bank is assessed for $125,000, which accounted for $2,391.25 in village taxes in 2023-24, with a village tax rate of $19.13 per $1,000 of assessed property.

The county in October approved buying the former GCC building at 456 West Ave. Orleans paid $975,000 for the building owned by Herring Enterprises of Holley. The county intends to move the district attorney’s office and probation department from the Public Safety Building to the GCC site. The Public Safety Building will be reconfigured with more space to be used by the Sheriff’s Office.

The GCC site is assessed for $450,000. That building generated $8,608.50 in village property taxes in 2023-24 with the village tax rate at $19.13 per $1,000 of assessed property.

The Legislature also agreed to pay James Herring Sr. $500,000 for 25.7 acres of vacant land adjacent to the site with a lot off Allen Road. That vacant land is assessed at $23,900.

The Village Board is asking for a PILOT agreement in perpetuity with 3.5 percent annual increases.

Mayor Angel Javier Jr. said he would like the resolution to the Legislature be part of a larger discussion about the county sharing revenues with the village.

The board didn’t state whether the PILOT should be based off the assessed value of the properties or the sale prices.

The board discussed whether the request to the county should be in a letter or a formal resolution. The board chose a resolution, “because a resolution is stronger than a letter,” said Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley.

Village officials found a similar resolution the board made more than a decade ago when the Albion school district bought farmland from Dragan Farms, taking some property off the village tax rolls. The school district declined to make up the loss in tax revenue to the village, Village Board members said on Wednesday.