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TOWN CLERK / TAX COLLECTOR

Laptop and Paperwork

QUICK LINKS

CONTACT  INFORMATION

Melissa Verne | Town Clerk

E-mail: townclerk@townofleray.org

Phone: (315) 629-4052

Fax: (315) 629-4393

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Mary Hebert | Deputy Town Clerk

E-mail: deputyclerk@townofleray.org

Phone: (315) 629-4052

Fax: (315) 629-4393

OFFICE HOURS

Monday - Friday

9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

CLOSED FOR LUNCH 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

(Except for Holidays)

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Term of Town Clerk Expires On:

December 31, 2025

Melissa L. Verne

Mary Hebert - Deputy Town Clerk

The Town Clerk's Office caters to the needs of Town Residents by providing a diverse range of services. These services include issuing/providing:

  • marriage licenses

  • death certificates

  • hunting licenses

  • dog licenses

  • trash tickets

 

Additionally, the Town Clerk's Office manages the water and sewer billing and payments, serves as the Receiver of Taxes, and handles the mailing and collection of property tax bills. 

 

As the Records Access Officer, the Town Clerk's Office is responsible for handling all F.O.I.L. requests. The Town Clerk also plays a crucial role in keeping a record of Town Board activities by producing minutes for all meetings and filing resolutions and laws with appropriate agencies.

New York State requires that all dogs over the age of 4 months be licensed.  The Town Clerk's Office issues dog licenses under the authority of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

To obtain a license, the owner must provide to the Town Clerk's Office the following veterinary documentation:

 

  1. Proof of Current Rabies Vaccination that includes the serial number and manufacturer of that vaccine.

  2. Proof of the dog having been spayed or neutered (only if the dog has been spayed or neutered).


The dog license must be renewed on a yearly basis.  Renewal notices will be sent out; however, if you move out of the Town, please contact the Town Clerk's Office to have the dog's information updated to reflect it.

Dog Licensing Fees

Spayed or Neutered................... $12.00

Not Spayed or Neutered...........$22.00

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Fees may be paid by cash, check, or credit card at the Town Office Building. 

Daniel Moyer

Dog Control Officer

(315) 771-8103

PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION

Payment in Full Process

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As a resident, you can pay your Town and County taxes to the Town Clerk, who is the Receiver of Taxes. Tax bills are mailed out at the end of December, and property owners have the entire month of January to pay without penalty. Late payments are subject to penalties, so make sure to pay on time!

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You can make your payment in person using cash or check. If you prefer to mail in your payment, use a check or money order and send it to Melissa Verne, Tax Receiver, 8650 LeRay Street, Evans Mills, NY 13637. Remember, the envelope must be postmarked by the United States Postal Service on or before the due date, or you'll incur a payment penalty.

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If you miss the due date, the payment penalty will increase each month. From February 2nd to February 28th, the penalty is 1.0%. From March 1st to March 10th, the penalty is 2.0%. After March 10th, the Town Clerk will no longer accept tax payments, and all unpaid tax bills will be returned to the Jefferson County Treasurer at 175 Arsenal Street, Watertown, NY 13601.

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Installment Payment Process

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If you prefer to make your Town and County tax payments in installments, the Town offers an Installment Payment Process, and the details and amounts are listed on your bill. To take advantage of this option, you must make your payments to the Town Clerk by the following dates, using the same methods as listed above:

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First Installment: February 2, 2024

Second Installment: March 29, 2024

Third Installment: May 31, 2024

If you have any questions about your tax bill or need more information about tax rolls, tax rates, or tax exemptions that you may be eligible for to reduce your taxes, please contact the Town Assessor.

Filling Out Tax Form

IMPORTANT!

If you want to pay your Town and County taxes in installments, you need to make sure you pay the first installment by February 2, 2024. The payment must be postmarked on or before February 2, 2024, or you won't be able to use this option.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW (FOIL)

The Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law, Article 6) (FOIL) grants members of the public access to the records of government in accordance with its provisions. For more information about FOIL and the Personal Privacy Protection Law (Public Officers Law, Article 6-A), please visit the New York State Committee on Open Government’s website.

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The Town Clerk Office is the Records Access Officer for the Town of LeRay "Records".

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Records means any information kept, held, filed, produced or reproduced by, with, or for the department, in any physical form whatsoever including, but not limited to, reports, statements, examinations, memoranda, opinions, folders, files, books, manuals, pamphlets, forms, papers, designs, drawings, maps, photos, letters, microfilms, computer tapes or disks, rules, regulations or codes.

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State Law exempts certain records from disclosure. The Records Access Officer may deny your request, in whole, or in part, if it falls under these exemptions. For more information on exemptions, please refer to subdivision two of section eighty-seven of Article 6 of the Public Officers Law

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PROCEDURE FOR REQUESTS:

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Written requests are required, and shall be sent to the Records Access Officers. A request shall reasonably describe the record or records sought. Whenever possible, a person requesting records should supply information regarding dates, file designations or other information that may help to describe the records sought.

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RECORDS ACCESS OFFICERS:

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Melissa Verne | Town Clerk

Mary Hebert | Deputy Town Clerk

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