Laverne Tennenberg, Assessor, Town of Riverhead

LAVERNE TENNENBERG

Republican

BACKGROUND:

• Tennenberg, 63, of Riverhead, is seeking reelection to a ninth term. She is also running on the Conservative Party line.
• She is treasurer of the New York State Assessors Association and a member of the NYSAA’s Institute of Assessing Officers, a group of individuals who achieved the highest level of professional competencies.
• Tennenberg earned her associate's degree from Suffolk County Community College and bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in business computer information systems from Hofstra University in Hempstead.

ISSUES:

• Tennenberg pledges to assess property taxes in a way that is fair and equitable for all owners by tracking real estate trends and paying close attention to sales of different properties.
• She says she will continue to stay on top of changes in laws to help residents get the full benefits to which they’re entitled. Unlike previous years, Tennenberg says mobile homeowners will no longer receive their New York School Tax Relief, or STAR, exemption upfront. Starting in 2022, she says they must pay their full property taxes, then get reimbursements from New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. This change, she says, affects about 1,900 mobile homeowners.
• Tennenberg promises to continue to be an advocate for homeowners. She says she was instrumental in getting former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to sign an executive order making renewal of two property tax exemptions — those for seniors and persons with disabilities or low incomes — automatic in most cases for 2021.