After taking his oath of office as Islip’s Tax Receiver in November of 2021, Andy went right to work to improve customer service and protect taxpayer dollars. In his short first term, Andy’s actions have saved money, reduced waste, prevented crime and returned investment.
Andy's First Term
Fighting Tax Theft & Mail Fraud
The 2021-2022 Tax Year saw spikes in the frequency of mail fraud across the U.S., with senior citizens often the most victimized. Tax time is a prime time for these unscrupulous thieves who prey on the elderly and small business owners alike.
The Problem
Through a scheme known as “white washing,” criminals were stealing property tax payments checks out of the mail before it could reach the Receiver’s office. A victim of this crime would not only be affected by an untimely payment, subjecting them to penalties but in addition, the legal hardships to recover their funds.
Andy Fixed It
Blue-colored envelopes provided by the Tax Receiver’s office for taxpayers to send in their payments were easy targets for criminals to spot in mailboxes, mail bins, mailbags and mail trucks. Andy changed the envelopes to white-colored ones, camouflaging tax payments within the rest of the everyday bundles of mail.
Getting a Better Return
All tax revenues are kept in a town bank account until disbursed as per the current year’s budget allocations. That account is interest bearing and smart accounting means taking advantage of that for the taxpayers’ benefit.
The Problem
Growing money via interest is something we all do with our funds. Despite receiving more than a billion dollars annually in tax receipts, the town’s bank account paid only a few hundred-thousand dollars in interest.
Andy Fixed It
Andy renegotiated the interest rate with the bank and now the town’s account is earning more for taxpayers. In Andy’s first year in office, earned interest rose to nearly half a million dollars and in this current year will surpass one million dollars. This is money for Islip’s expenses and emergencies, and assures the Tax Receiver’s office remains budget neutral.
Andy's Next Term
In his next term, Andy looks to do even more to give you an easy, reliable and safe experience. It means building on first-term successes and future proofing the office of Tax Receiver so that it saves money and furthers good, smart government.
Growing an Online Experience
The world is digital now. The Islip’s Tax Receiver’s Payment Portal needed a facelift for taxpayers to easily pay their tax bills online, find necessary documents or seek help or resolution for their challenges.
The Problem
The Tax Receiver’s Payment Portal had not been updated for some time. While this service had been available for 10 years, many taxpayers were not aware if its existence nor the fact this site is a place for taxpayers to get copies of bills or view their official property information from the convenience of their homes, offices or mobile devices.
Andy Fixed It
In the ongoing fight to reduce tax and mail fraud in his first year in office, Andy rebuilt the Tax Receiver’s online payments platform. It’s now easier to pay taxes online. By promoting this feature, about 20% more taxpayers made payments online in the 2021-2022 tax year. That number rose roughly another 20% in tax year 2022-2023.
The Solution
Andy is planning a complete overhaul of the Tax Receiver’s main website, which is separate from the Online Payment Portal. As the town’s #1 most visited online department, he looks to build a true 21st century digital portal; a source to find one’s property information, to view easy-to-understand tutorial videos and to order tax bills online in a convenient and friendly atmosphere available 24 hours a day.
Modernizing The Office
Islip’s taxpayers deserve an office of professionals ready to serve their needs in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner; where records are kept and processed using state-of-the-art, dependable and reliable technology operated by competent and committed public servants.
The Problem
It’s been more than thirty years since the Tax Receiver’s office last invested in computerized systems for keeping track of property taxes and land information for New York State’s third-largest town. Software and hardware now in use lack modern processing and workflow, which leads to complicated office procedures and customer service inefficiencies.
The Solution
Andy is working with the town’s Informational Technology staff to source 21st century solutions for managing the property taxes and land information of Islip’s Tax Receiver’s office, including secure but speedy software that integrates with other town departments, such as the Assessor’s, making cooperation easy while minimizing paperwork and errors.
Andy's First Term
After taking his oath of office as Islip’s Tax Receiver in November of 2021, Andy went right to work to improve customer service and protect taxpayer dollars. In his short first term, Andy’s actions have saved money, reduced waste, prevented crime and returned investment.
In his next term, Andy looks to do even more to give you an easy, reliable and safe experience – one that saves money and furthers good, smart government.
Fighting Tax Theft & Mail Fraud
The 2021-2022 Tax Year saw spikes in the frequency of mail fraud across the U.S., with senior citizens often the most victimized. Tax time is a prime time for these unscrupulous thieves who prey on the elderly and small business owners alike.
The Problem
Through a scheme known as “white washing,” criminals were stealing property tax payments checks out of the mail before it could reach the Receiver’s office. A victim of this crime would not only be affected by an untimely payment, subjecting them to penalties but in addition, the legal hardships to recover their funds.
Andy Fixed It
Blue-colored envelopes provided by the Tax Receiver’s office for taxpayers to send in their payments were easy targets for criminals to spot in mailboxes, mail bins, mailbags and mail trucks. Andy changed the envelopes to white-colored ones, camouflaging tax payments within the rest of the everyday bundles of mail.
Getting a Better Return
All tax revenues are kept in a town bank account until disbursed as per the current year’s budget allocations. That account is interest bearing and smart accounting means taking advantage of that for the taxpayers’ benefit.
The Problem
Growing money via interest is something we all do with our funds. Despite receiving more than a billion dollars annually in tax receipts, the town’s bank account paid only a few hundred-thousand dollars in interest.
Andy Fixed It
Andy renegotiated the interest rate with the bank and now the town’s account is earning more for taxpayers. In Andy’s first year in office, earned interest rose to nearly half a million dollars and in this current year will surpass one million dollars. This is money for Islip’s expenses and emergencies, and assures the Tax Receiver’s office remains budget neutral.
Andy's Next Term
In his next term, Andy looks to do even more to give you an easy, reliable and safe experience. It means building on first-term successes and future proofing the office of Tax Receiver so that it saves money and furthers good, smart government.
Growing an Online Experience
The world is digital now. The Islip’s Tax Receiver’s Payment Portal needed a facelift for taxpayers to easily pay their tax bills online, find necessary documents or seek help or resolution for their challenges.
The Problem
The Tax Receiver’s Payment Portal had not been updated for some time. While this service had been available for 10 years, many taxpayers were not aware if its existence nor the fact this site is a place for taxpayers to get copies of bills or view their official property information from the convenience of their homes, offices or mobile devices.
Andy Fixed It
In the ongoing fight to reduce tax and mail fraud in his first year in office, Andy rebuilt the Tax Receiver’s online payments platform. It’s now easier to pay taxes online. By promoting this feature, about 20% more taxpayers made payments online in the 2021-2022 tax year. That number rose roughly another 20% in tax year 2022-2023.
The Solution
Andy is planning a complete overhaul of the Tax Receiver’s main website, which is separate from the Online Payment Portal. As the town’s #1 most visited online department, he looks to build a true 21st century digital portal; a source to find one’s property information, to view easy-to-understand tutorial videos and to order tax bills online in a convenient and friendly atmosphere available 24 hours a day.
Modernizing The Office
Islip’s taxpayers deserve an office of professionals ready to serve their needs in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner; where records are kept and processed using state-of-the-art, dependable and reliable technology operated by competent and committed public servants.
The Problem
It’s been more than thirty years since the Tax Receiver’s office last invested in computerized systems for keeping track of property taxes and land information for New York State’s third-largest town. Software and hardware now in use lack modern processing and workflow, which leads to complicated office procedures and customer service inefficiencies.
The Solution
Andy is working with the town’s Informational Technology staff to source 21st century solutions for managing the property taxes and land information of Islip’s Tax Receiver’s office, including secure but speedy software that integrates with other town departments, such as the Assessor’s, making cooperation easy while minimizing paperwork and errors.