A centralized system to handle property assessments — eliminating 30 municipal government offices scattered throughout Erie County — could save taxpayers millions, County Comptroller Mark C. Poloncarz said Tuesday.

At a Rath County Office Building news conference, Poloncarz released a report by his office that examines the cost of local real property assessment in the county, which has 30 independent assessing units. They’re part of the 1,133 units across the state. California, by comparison, has 59.

“If a unified system . . . was adopted in Erie County, not only would the county benefit . . . so would local governments and, in the end, taxpayers of Erie County,” Poloncarz said.

According to the comptroller’s report, it costs $6.5 million annually — not including fringe benefits — to staff and operate those 30 independent units, which, for the most part, are overseen by appointed assessors.

The annual salaries for full-time assessors range from $41,000 in the Town of Boston to $92,000 in the Town of Amherst, according to the report. Both are appointed.

Countywide assessments are being encouraged by New York State, the comptroller said, through annual, recurring and one-time forms of aid and incentives. The practice already has been adopted in Nassau and Tompkins counties.

Here, there would be several hurdles to clear, including the elimination of the independent assessing entities. Then, creation of a new county office would require approval by the County Legislature, the county executive and voters, through a referendum.

“You don’t need an advanced degree . . . to see the savings that could materialize. You only need to possess common sense,” Poloncarz said.

The comptroller’s report presents different scenarios involving staffing, workloads and frequency of reassessments. The county has 366,317 parcels assessed by local governments.

Copies of the report were to be distributed Tuesday to county and municipal officials.

“I know this report will not be warmly received in some circles,” the comptroller predicted. However, “this is exactly the type of reform our county needs,” he added.

Buffalo attorney Peter A. Weinmann, whose law firm handles assessment challenges, welcomed the proposal.

“It would certainly take the local politics out of what currently is a random, haphazard approach,” Weinmann said.

Town of Tonawanda Councilman Joseph H. Emminger is chairman of the Town Board’s Assessor Committee and a professional real estate appraiser.

“Without having seen this . . . report, anything that can possibly save taxpayers money is something that has to be investigated further,” he said.

One concern for Emminger would be eliminating the interaction between office staff and senior citizens who come in to file for exemptions.

“These local assessors have contact with these seniors, and they know them personally,” Emminger said, and sometimes recognize if something is amiss with them.

jhabuda@buffnews.com

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