'They slammed the door, but the fight is not over'

Finance Director Mark Sullivan keeps his eyes down as mobile home park advocate Kevin Brigham finishes his address to the board on Tuesday. (City of Rochester screenshot capture)

ROCHESTER - Rochester's city manager, finance director and chief assessor all parroted the same party line on Tuesday - that their hands are tied when it comes to doing revaluations on the city's mobile homes - but that was small comfort for 25-year-old Jacob Booth, who just bought his first home, a mobile home at Royal Crest, where his monthly mortgage payment just went up 25 percent, from $1,200 to $1,500.

"I think trying to afford this by myself is going to be very difficult," he said. "That's all I got to say."

The controversy has been brewing for months now after mobile home owners in the city have seen their property taxes double from last year, while single family dwellings, including extravagant homes, saw a reduction in taxes.

Kevin Brigham, president of Royal Crest Mobile Home Park, who has been a spokesman and advocate the city's mobile home community, told The Rochester Voice today "they pretty much slammed the door, but the issue not dead, it just goes to the next level.

Rochester finance director Mark Sullivan said there's no relief the city can authorize.

"It's all under state taxation statutes, we have to abide by the abatement provision only," he said.

Brigham has already filed for an abatement, himself, and has helped more than 60 mobile home owners across the city in doing the same thing, but he said a lot of owners didn't. Many more missed the deadline for filing by March 1, Brigham said.

Chief Assessor Mary Beth Walker said there's no path for the city to another revaluation because it's already been submitted to the state, but she said there are avenues available to pursue the abatement process who filed in a timely fashion.

Some of the other options include seeking relief from the Board of Land and Tax Appeals and in Superior Court, two options Brigham says are still on the table.

Brigham said he may also bring it before the Dept. of Revenue, but none of this will go forward until the city officially decides to reject any type of revaluation correction.

He said he expects to again address the City Council Workshop set for March 18.

All abatement must be decided by July 9.

If they refuse the abatements, then it's on to the state," he added.