Candidate Profile: Mason Haas For Riverhead Town Assessor

RIVERHEAD, NY — Suffolk County residents will be hitting the polls soon to elect local representatives.

The race is on in local town and village races leading up to Election Day, which, this year, falls on Tuesday, November 5. Patch asked those running for office to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles in the days leading up to the election.

Incumbent Mason Haas, 64, of Jamesport is a Republican also running on the Conservative line for Riverhead Town Assessor. Also running for the position are Tara Taylor, and Jaraby Thomas, Democrats, and Republican Meredith Lipinsky.

Haas and his wife Maureen have four children, Stephanee, Ashley, Erika, and Cody, six grandkids, and three great-grandchildren. He is a graduate of Westhampton Beach High School who attended Suffolk Community College. He is currently serving as town assessor

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Mason Haas below.

Patch: The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Mason Haas: My position as assessor is not a policy making office. We are vested with the job to fairly apply the NYS real property laws, while fairly assessing all real estate in our town, along with overseeing the administration of real property exemptions a property owner is entitled to.

P: What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?:

H: Experience. Looking at our opponents' credentials, the 37 years of my being involved in real estate, I believe, is beneficial to the property owners in our town. My opponents claim experience, one claiming to have knowledge of real estate, while having no hands-on experience. The other is a part time librarian who also works part time in a real estate office in a clerical position.

P: Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

H: During my 12 years of being an assessor, I have implemented changes that saved the residents of our town over $1 million. This, along with my open door policy, has been a benefit to the great people of our town.

P: What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

H: Upon entering the position I implemented a system of in-house grievance work reducing the need for outside preparation of grievance hearings. This saved the residences and landowners well over a $1 million. I implemented a scanning system in the assessor's office, streamlining the record-keeping and allowing more efficient responses to requests. My ability from years of use of the real property information system makes it possible for me to continue to serve the landowners of Riverhead both by providing information needed and in support of assessments in the swollen grievance market.

P: The best advice ever shared with me was ...

H: "Treat everybody the same."

P: What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

H: I believe that there are many property owners in this town who know that I will try to assist them. I see many property owners, some who visit me yearly, as every year, the town’s equalization rate changes as to market conditions. That rate determines one’s market value for their property. I will always take a look to determine if they are over assessed. Sometimes it works in their favor. Sometimes not. However they walk away with a full understanding of their assessment. I also try to assist them to in understanding the complex real property laws.