Dinkins names Tax Commish

Real Estate Weekly, Nov 3, 1993 by Lois Weiss

In a stunning 11th hour move, Mayor David N. Dinkins has quietly by-passed long-time Acting Tax Commission President David Goldstein and nominated an Off Track Betting Official and executive director of the New York City Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Corporation, Jack John Olivero, to head the Commission. The appointment still needs to be approved by the City Council, an unlikely prospect should the Mayor lose this week's election.

Goldstein, a holdover from the Koch administration, had never been officially appointed by Dinkins. He has come under much criticism for allowing the build-up of potential refund liability that could amount to a billion dollars by some estimates.

The major problem is that the agency is supposed to ensure taxpayers are getting fair property tax assessments from the Dept. of Finance. Taxpayers, however, quickly determined that in the downward market spiral, the Tax Commission for the most part wasn't cutting the numbers far enough and took their complaints to court.

The city Corporation Counsel now has a mounting back-up of cases. Refunds for the overpayment are not given to the taxpayer until some months after a case - often consisting of three to four years of tax assessment protests - is finally settled.

"There was a lot of disappointment with him because the agency hasn't been run well," said one city official who asked not to be identified. Over the spring and summer, criticism mounted and a job search was opened. The administration encouraged a number of people to apply, the official added.

An insider at the Tax Commission was saddened at the news, noting the staff loved Goldstein, and felt he treated taxpayers fairly.

Paul Korngold, a tax certiorari partner with Tuchman, Katz, Schwartz, Gellis & Korngold said, "David Goldstein has been exceptionally effective and we're sure Mayor Dinkins has researched the qualifications of his successor thoroughly and hope he can live up to the fine tradition established by President Goldstein."

Little is publicly known about Olivero, who was a former deputy commissioner of Housing Preservation Development for rent and housing maintenance some years ago. He is an attractive, pleasant man, said one official there, and was easy to work with.