As you receive your upcoming tax bills, you may notice that while the District has adopted a 0% increase in the tax levy—meaning we are not collecting more in total taxes than last year—some individual tax bills may look different.
This variation is due to equalization rates, a process managed by New York State to ensure that property owners across different towns within our district pay their balanced share of the overall tax levy. The Wayland-Cohocton School District includes multiple townships—such as Cohocton, Wayland, and Springwater—as well as smaller portions of several other municipalities. Because property assessments can differ from one township to another, equalization rates are applied to balance these differences. As a result, tax impacts will vary from community to community within the District.
We recognize that unexpected changes in tax bills can cause concern and want to assure you that these adjustments are not the result of any change in tax levy by the district, but rather the state’s process for balancing assessments across municipalities.
For a better understanding, you can visit the NYS website at: https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/learn/eqrates.htm
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of our schools and community. If you have additional questions regarding equalization rates or assessments, please reach out to the appropriate municipality.