County joins 3 other municipalities in Tops assessment fight in Medina
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Tops store on Maple Ridge Road in Medina is pictured in September. The store is part of a plaza assessed at $3,471,000.
MEDINA – The Orleans County Legislature voted today to have the county join three other municipalities in a legal fight over the assessment for the Tops plaza in Medina.
The site on Maple Ridge Road is assessed for $3,471,000. It is owned by Medina Center LLC, which along with Tops is seeking a lower assessment. They want it lowered to $2,665,800. If successful, the $805,200 reduction would lower the taxes by $41,903 from $180,630, based on the tax rates in 2018.
The Town of Shelby, Village of Medina, Medina Central School and now the county are joining together to defend the assessment in court. Shelby sets the assessed value with its assessor.
Shelby also has the lowest of the tax rates and the least amount of money at stake.
Three years ago Orleans County approved a new policy where towns don’t have to bear the full burden of an assessment challenge by themselves if the assessments are over $3 million. The villages, school districts and county are all asked to help finance a legal battle, with the percentage share based on their tax rates, which include the Medina school district ($21.12), Village of Medina ($17.18), Orleans County ($10.09) and Town of Shelby ($3.65).
Tops is also challenging its assessment in Albion, where its store at 408 West Ave. is assessed for $2,750,000. Tops wants the assessment lowered to $1,775,660. Because that site is below the $3 million threshold, the town is alone is the court fight over the assessed value.
