Attorneys continue to battle over a property tax dispute between United Health Services and the Town of Vestal. The legal issues began after town officials refused to grant UHS a tax exemption in May of 2012 for their $8.48 million property assessment for their new walk-in clinic on the Vestal Parkway, and the land it sits on. Binghamton-based attorney Paul Sheppard, who represents UHS, stated that UHS can use its nonprofit status for a tax exemption, not only for the 77,000 square-foot facility it built and owns on the parkway, but also for the land it leases from a private corporation. Vestal’s attorney David Berger said the argument is irrelevant because under state law, all real property should be subject to real property tax. He argues that while the building itself may be exempt, the land it sits on is not. If the exemption is granted, the town, Broome County, and the Vestal School District, will stand to lose more than $292,000 in tax revenue for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
