Evans Foreclosures & Declining Property Values

The Solar Tax will make the Town of Evans even less competitive in the real estate market.

High Town Taxes are contributing to a significant number of foreclosures.

The two Zillow maps show sales in red and foreclosures in blue.

The supervisor has stated that she favors a 100% P.I.L.O.T. (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes). The reality is that any potential property owner that wants to build a new house that includes solar, won’t consider Evans. The reality is that the solar tax will make adding solar to an existing residential property unaffordable.

Solar farm companies will invest their money in other towns that offer the solar exemption.

Evans is opting out of the solar exemption to generate revenue (taxes). However, the reality is that there will be little additional revenue (taxes) for the town.

 

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High town taxes combined with the solar tax will hurt property values even more. Below is a list of Evans property sales from 12-25-2016. Town wide reassessment was in 2008. The assessor calculates the 2017 market value of all properties. 8 of 17 arms length property sales were for less than the 2008 assessed value and the estimated 2017 full market value. When the market adjusts to the 12.2% 2017 increase in town taxes, these numbers are likely to get worse.

The solar tax will hurt Evans with little chance of generating any revenue.

Even if the town signed a P.I.L.O.T. agreement today, according to Erie County, the revenue won’t be collected until the 2018 tax bills are collected.

Instead of a three member board voting on the solar tax, there is more that enough time to put the solar tax on the November ballot. This way, residents will get a voice in this important decision.