Fulton is taking action after a state audit showed assessment board members grieved assessments of their own property directly to the board they serve on. The city is looking to set up an intermunicipal agreement with Oswego so properties can be assessed when a conflict of interest arises. Our Andy Mattison explains the audit and how the proposed agreement would work.

FULTON, N.Y. -- Ron Patrick wanted the assessment on his house on Tannery Lane reduced. But since he is on the assessment board, he had to file a notice of disclosure so there wasn't a conflict of interest.

"We fill out the form and sign it and we hand it back to the assessor," said Fulton Assessment Board member Ron Patrick.

BAR member Holly Carpenter did the same and also took other steps to make sure she got a fair assessment.

"I hired an appraiser so that I would have good documentation, besides doing my own research," said Carpenter.

But apparently those steps weren't enough. According to a state audit, both were supposed to file notices with the mayor and also keep written documentation that they didn't vote on their own property assessments. The audit found no illegal activity took place and the incident has served as a learning tool for the city.

"No laws were violated. We're going to make every effort to make sure that it doesn't look like it's a matter of impropriety and move on with life," said Fulton Mayor Ron Woodward.

And that's where the City of Oswego comes in. Fulton is working on an intermunicipal agreement with the assessor's office so the board members could come to them if they want to grieve assessments on their own property.

"Our BAR members would have to research property values in Fulton. I mean they're similar property values but they would have to research the property and come up with a value for that property," said Oswego City Assessor Susan Deary.

"Even if I and Holly had voted it still would've been legal. But we did go above and beyond to make sure that we had no more advantage than any other taxpayer in the city," said Patrick.

The proposed agreement will go before the Common Council in Oswego on Monday. If it passes, it must also be passed by Fulton's Common Council before it can take effect.