City Council:
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE
ATTENDANCE OF SENIOR ASSESSMENT CLERKS
AT THE 2026 CORNELL CONFERENCE AND
AUTHORIZING RELATED EXPENDITURES
Whereas, by correspondence dated June 15, 2026, the Commissioner of the Department of Assessment has requested authorization for Senior Assessment Clerks Kameka Faulkner and Jennifer Shute of the Department of Assessment to attend the Cornell Conference in Ithaca, New York, from July 19, 2026, to July 24, 2026; and
Whereas, the Cornell Conference provides educational and professional development opportunities designed to enhance the knowledge and effectiveness of assessment personnel in the administration of real property assessment and taxation; and
Whereas, conference participants will receive instruction in courses including "Emerging Topics in Property Assessment" and "The Path of the Petition: Navigating BAR, SCAR, Mock Trial, and the Petition," which are directly related to the duties and responsibilities of the Department of Assessment; and
Whereas, successful completion of these courses will provide continuing education credits recognized by the New York State Office of Real Property Tax Services, thereby supporting the professional development and certification requirements of assessment personnel; and
Whereas, Senior Assessment Clerk Kameka Faulkner has been awarded the 2026 Michele Casandra Memorial Scholarship Fund through the New York State Assessors' Association Seminar on Professional Development in the amount of One Thousand Two Hundred Dollars ($1,200.00), which shall be applied exclusively toward attendance at the Cornell Conference and will be reimbursed upon successful completion of the program requirements; and
Whereas, the scholarship significantly reduces the financial burden on the City and makes attendance at the conference a prudent and cost-effective investment in employee training and development; and
Whereas, the total cost of registration, lodgin...
Click here for full text