09/15/2025 Assessment Community Weekly
Reminder: RPS Online tour, filling up fast
Over the next few weeks, the RPS Online Project Team is hitting the road and hosting presentations across New York State.
At each presentation, they’ll:
- discuss implementation and training,
- give demos of fundamental functions,
- provide an opportunity to login and experience RPS Online firsthand, and
- answer your questions.
At this time, they have presentations scheduled in:
- Guilderland (Albany County): Wednesday, 9/17, 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. (please RSVP by 10:00 a.m. 9/16 to attend)
- City of Fulton (Oswego County): Wednesday, 10/1, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- Batavia (Genesee County): Thursday, 10/16, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (session is full)
To attend a presentation, please RSVP.
Attendance at each event will be limited to 50 members of the assessment community on a first come, first served basis. After submitting an RSVP, keep an eye on your email. We are beginning to send emails with details to attendees.
The RPS Online Project Team will also host virtual presentations, and they may schedule an additional in-person event.
ORPTS Regional Management Transitions
Please join us in welcoming four ORPTS staff to new roles in managing our regional offices.
Colleen Bourdage is the new Manager of Regional Operations. With 18 years of experience in the Central Region and Albany, Colleen’s expertise will be invaluable as she supports and oversees each of our regional offices. Among her new goals will be the sharing of best practices and information across our regions.
Aaron Lesch is the new Manager of our Central Regional Office in Syracuse. Aaron has 22 years of experience in the region and longstanding relationships with the assessment community. Aaron succeeds our longtime Central Region Manager, Kate Garbutt, who recently retired.
Melanie Prosser is the new Manager of our Western Regional Office in Batavia. Melanie also has 20 years of experience in the region, during which she’s been a strong communicator and liaison with the localities. Melanie succeeds our longtime Western Region Manager, Gary Drake, who also recently retired.
Geoff Gloak is transitioning from decades in ORPTS Communications to lead our Full Value Measurement operations, which include Equalization and Special Rates, Regional Operations, Special Valuation and Fiscal Support, and Valuation Services.
Provide the STAR fact sheet to new homeowners
We encourage local officials and real estate professionals to make our STAR fact sheet available to new homeowners. Doing so helps remind new homeowners to register for the STAR credit.
Bear in mind that we won’t update the handout for 2026 until January. This is because homeowners are still registering for the 2025 STAR credit through the end of this calendar year.
Unlike the STAR exemption and other property tax exemptions, you do not need to own your home on taxable status date to be eligible for the STAR credit. Currently, you must own your home, and it must be your primary residence as of the last day to pay school taxes without interest or penalty.
Some localities that don’t use the standard assessment calendar have school tax due dates as late as mid-January. Therefore, the online registration for the STAR credit will continue to ask for 2023 income information through the end of the calendar year.
We’ll release the updated handout for the 2026 STAR credit in early January.
In addition, you may also wish to share this handout with more information about assessments and property taxes for new homeowners.
STAR credit update and reminder
As of today, we have issued 710,000 STAR credits for 2025.
If you’re approached by a homeowner wondering when they’ll receive their credit, please direct them to the STAR Credit Delivery Schedule for general timeframes.
Important: Our Contact Center representatives cannot provide a specific delivery date. Homeowners may receive their check or deposit before or after their neighbor or family member. To see whether we've already issued their STAR credit, or to see prior years' credits, they should use our Property Tax Credit Lookup tool.
STAR program participants can also use the Homeowner Benefit Portal to check on the status of their registrations, as well as to:
- enroll in STAR Credit Direct Deposit,
- switch from the STAR exemption to the credit, and
- take action to resolve issues.
Reminder: State aid application deadline coming up
If you’re seeking state aid for a 2025 reassessment, complete the Application for State Aid (RP-1573-ACR-A). The deadline is October 1, 2025.
See our Reassessment Project Deadline Dates for other upcoming deadlines.
For more information, visit our website: