Board members
The State Board of Real Property Tax Services is a separate and independent body within the Department of Taxation and Finance. It is comprised of up to five members who are appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. One member must be engaged in the commercial production for sale of agricultural crops, livestock, or livestock products. The Board members' eight-year terms are staggered so that no two members' terms expire in the same year. The Governor designates one member as chair. The Board members serve without pay, but they are reimbursed for necessary expenses while on State Board business. There are currently two vacancies on the Board.
Matthew W. Rand
Matthew Rand, Managing Partner of Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty and Rand Commercial Services along with the affiliate companies: Rand Mortgage, Hudson Abstract Services and the Hudson Group Insurance Agency, was nominated by the Governor to the State Board of Real Property Tax Services and confirmed by the Senate on June 6, 2012. His term runs through December 31, 2017. Mr. Rand had been designated as Chairman.
In addition to his duties with Rand Realty (recognized as one of the top 60 real estate companies in the country serving the lower Hudson Valley) and its affiliates, Mr. Rand has been involved with many community development organizations during his career. He has served on the American Red Cross Hudson Valley Advisory Board since 1998 and was the board chair for 10 years. During this period, Mr. Rand served as a trustee of the American Red Cross in Greater New York - the largest chapter of the American Red Cross and served on the Board of Directors of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation (HVEDC).
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of People to People, a Rockland based food pantry and Leadership Rockland, Inc. In 2005 Mr. Rand received the Rockland Economic Development Corporation's "Forty under Forty" award. He served as the President of the Rockland County Board of Realtors in 2004. He is actively involved with the New York State Association of Realtors and the local Realtor Associations and Multiple Listing Services across the Hudson Valley.
Mr. Rand graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996.
Mr. Rand was appointed in 2012 to a term expiring on December 31, 2017. (By virtue of Public Officers Law section 5, a member of the State Board whose term has expired may continue to serve until a successor takes office.)
Scott C. Becker
Scott C. Becker, Partner of Kavinoky Cook, LLP in Buffalo, was nominated by the Governor to the State Board of Real Property Tax Services and confirmed by the Senate on June 17, 2016. His term runs through December 31, 2023.
Mr. Becker is a trial attorney and concentrates his practice on property tax assessment litigation as well as wills, trusts and estate planning. Mr. Becker has appeared for and advised clients in tax certiorari, eminent domain and other commercial litigation matters in federal and state courts throughout New York State. Mr. Becker has lectured and organized programs on property valuation issues and litigation for clients for various bar associations.
Mr. Becker is a member and past-chair of the Erie County Bar Association’s Committee on Eminent Domain and Tax Certiorari. He is also a member of the Bar of a number of state and federal courts, the New York State Bar Association and the Erie County Bar Association. Mr. Becker has also been appointed as a hearing referee in tax certiorari matters in the Eighth Judicial District of the New York State Supreme Court (which includes the counties of Erie, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming).
Mr. Becker is a member of the Board of Directors of the UB Law Alumni Association. He is also a Trustee of St. Mary’s School for the Deaf in Buffalo. His public service experience includes handling a variety of matters on a pro bono basis as well as volunteer and charitable work for Cornell University, Nardin Academy and Holy Spirit parish in North Buffalo.
Mr. Becker graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, cum laude, in 1993 and from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1988.
Mr. Becker was appointed in 2016 to a term expiring on December 31, 2023.
Samuel J. Casella
Samuel J. Casella, member of the New York State Advisory Council on Agriculture and Vice-Chairman of the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Agricultural Advisory Committee (1996-present), former Supervisor of the Town of Canandaigua (serving from 1998-2005 and 2010-2013), former member of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors and former member of the Ontario County Board of Ethics, was nominated by the Governor to the State Board and confirmed by the Senate on June 15, 2016. His term runs through December 31, 2022 as the representative on the State Board for the agriculture community.
Mr. Casella has extensive service on committees pertaining to agriculture and the environment. Mr. Casella serves as Chairman of the Ontario County Soil & Water District Board of Directors and member of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ontario County Agriculture Economic Advisory Team. He was also elected Committeeman to the United States Department of Agriculture and was elected to the Ontario County Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Committee being awarded the ten-year Dedicated Service Award upon conclusion of his service.
Mr. Casella has broad service on committees focusing on regional planning and economic development for sound land use. He currently is on the Finger Lakes Resource Conservation and Development Council (1998-present) and the Partnership for Ontario County (July 2016-present). He has served on the Genesee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council (2002-2005 and 2010-2013), Genesee Transportation Council Executive Committee (2003-2005), Ontario County Office of Economic Development and Industrial Development Agency Strategic Review Steering Committee (1999-2005), Infotonics Center of Excellence Economic Development Advisory Committee (2004-2005) and Ontario County Farm Bureau (former President, Vice-President and Treasurer).
In addition to being involved as federal appointed member of the VA Hospital Local Advisory panel and Finger Lakes Veterans Advisory Committee and Member of the Sons of the American Legion Post 256 in Canandaigua, Mr. Casella has been a speaker at several Veterans memorial functions and received the New York State Department of Veterans Affairs appreciation award in 2005. Mr. Casella has consulted on local governance, agriculture and watershed management issues abroad with Honduras, as part of a USDA project, after devastation by Hurricane Mitch in 1999. Mr. Casella's affiliations include the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ontario County Agricultural Society, South Bristol Fish and Game Club and Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department.
A graduate of Finger Lakes Community College with an Associates of Science degree in Humanities, Mr. Casella and his wife Debra and daughter Kathryn reside at the family farm in Canandaigua.
Mr. Casella was appointed in 2016 to a term expiring on December 31, 2022. (By virtue of Public Officers Law section 5, a member of the State Board whose term has expired may continue to serve until a successor takes office.)
