ONE Tupper Lake

07/18/2026

The Tupper Lake Football Booster Club

Accountability or Apathy

Since last Monday night when the Tupper Lake Head Football Coach, Brian Bennett, candidly and respectfully informed the Town Council that the former President of the Tupper Lake Football Booster Club, Ricky Dattola, and former Coach, Dennis Klossner, had donated all the remaining Booster Club funds to the Town of Tupper Lake, the Tupper Lake Rotary Club, and least two other non-profit organizations not engaged in the purpose the funds were solicited, raised and held for, there was passionate reaction within the community. Most of the feedback I heard was disbelief and disappointment, and a growing call for accountability. On the other side, others are equally attempting to justify and deflect the acts with the same consistent level of apathy experienced with many of the other allegations of illegal, unethical and conflicted actions that have so far gone uninvestigated and unresolved by the Town Council in regard to the Town Supervisor.

In an attempt to personally defend the actions as noble and justifiable, Town Supervisor Ricky Dattola callously began by calling the new coach's remarks "malarky" and spent several minutes rambling on about how obvious it was that they gave all the money raised for the football program to other charitable organizations. The Town Supervisor assured the meeting attendees that everything was above board and done in the best interest of all involved, and they had nothing to hide. Dennis Klossner rose and spoke at length about all the funds that had been raised over the years and how costly it is to fund a high school football program; which seemed like he was making the case why the Tupper Lake Football Booster Club was still needed and placing bold words on the question of the week - WHY DID THEY DISSOLVE AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS SERVED THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM SO WELL INSTEAD OF JUST HANDING IT OVER TO THE NEW LEADERS? In a democracy that is called a peaceful transfer of power. Dennis Klossner also affirmed there was nothing to hide and the books were available for anyone to review.

The following morning, I sent a request to review all the financial records of the former Football Booster Club to Ricky Dattola and Dennis Klossner, and I checked the New York State Attorney General's Charity Bureau website for information required of all charitable organizations in New York State. To date, neither Ricky Dattola or Dennis Klossner have responded to my request for information, and no information exists on the Attorney General's Charity Bureau website about this organization. I located every other non-profit, charitable organization in Tupper Lake, but nothing found for the Tupper Lake Football Booster Club for the last 5 years.

What next? We wait for the community to demand accountability or to witness apathy bury this issue with the same finality that so many other questionable actions have been left unresolved. I have spoken to elected officials that want answers and accountability for their constituents, yet others are keeping their heads down low and until they can catch a whiff of what they perceive as the popular position instead of leading toward doing what is right. The Business Group has deployed some of their best Lieutenant's to defend the actions of their Hadrian, and to deflect attention away from the legitimate and reasonable questions that should already be answered without hesitation or evasion.

I continue to promote the most reasonable and efficient solution to resolve this latest chapter of the Town Supervisor's playbook of chaos and conflict, GIVE IT ALL BACK! Give all the money back to the Tupper Lake High School Football Program. If you are a leader in the Town of Tupper Lake, please give the money back, you have millions to draw from and you know the school programs are minimally funded. If you are a leader in the Rotary Club, the Rescue Squad or the VFW, please give it all back without any further debate. You all know this money was not intended for you and you know exactly whom it was intended for and you know exactly why Ricky Dattola and Dennis Klossner gave it to you. Don't be a part of this plan rooted in spite and revenge because the School Superintendent made a wise decision to change the leadership of the football program. Don't spend one more minute being convinced by anyone that there is anything right about this. Those funds were never the private funds of Ricky Dattola and Dennis Klossner, regardless of how long they served or how much they contributed to the football program. Those funds were solicited, raised and held for the Football Program and the student athletes that deserve them the most. Please, GIVE IT ALL BACK. Give it all back because if those were funds that were raised for your organization and they were diverted someplace else, you would want them back, and you would want people to support you in getting them back.

For the rest of the community; what's it going to be? Accountability (Give It All Back) for those you have entrusted to lead your community, or Apathy (Sweep it Under the Rug) because you don't want to get involved.

Respectfully,
Stephen Jellie

07/15/2026

ONE TOWN - ONE FOOTBALL TEAM - ONE BOOSTER CLUB

"Give It All Back"

The fuel of divisiveness is not strong differing opinions, it is the forcing of one factions opinion on those with different opinions because a power imbalance exists. Advocating for the deliberate avoidance of the news media at public meetings and debates does not encourage transparency, it ensures those with the power (and money) have the upper hand in advancing their opinion without accountability. Exclusive meetings in basements, backrooms and barstools do not provide equal access to information, meaningful dialogue and consensus decisions, they are where "US vs. THEM" is born and raised.

This week we learned, unquestionably, that Tupper Lake Town Supervisor Ricky Dattola will use each and every position of power he commands for the purpose of advancing his Business Group based agenda and dismantling any group, individual or function he deems unworthy or in the way of his vision for absolute control; this time involving the inappropriate and potentially illegal disbursement of funds solicited and raised specifically to benefit the Tupper Lake High School Football Program by the Tupper Lake Football Booster Club, of which Ricky Dattola is the most recent President.

Details of how and why the former Tupper Lake Football Booster Club acted swiftly to disburse all the funds and dissolve the organization soon after it was announced that long time Head Football Coach Dennis Klossner, and his Assistant Coach Ricky Dattola would not be invited back as coaches for the 2026 Football season are thus far unavailable as Klossner and Dattola avoided any responsibility for their actions at this weeks Town Council meeting, in fact, they proudly defended what they did while aggressively belittling the new Head Coach's efforts to bring their actions to light. Exactly who the other officers and voting members of the Booster Club are that made the destructive decision to deplete the funds expeditiously and terminate this decades old successful fundraising organization is also unclear, however efforts to determine all are underway.

What is known? For reasons that still remain unanswered, Ricky Dattola, as President of the Tupper Lake Football Booster Club led the disbursement of all funds and the dissolution of the organization on or about March 2026. Funds were disbursed to the Town of Tupper Lake, of which Ricky Dattola is the Town Supervisor. Funds were allegedly disbursed to the Tupper Lake Rotary Club, of which Ricky Dattola was President, until July 1, 2026. Funds were disbursed to the Tupper Lake Rescue Squad, confirmed by Squad Chief Nikki Rice. A request for full financial disclosure was made to Dennis Klossner and Ricky Dattola after it was offered at the Town Council meeting to anyone desiring to review their actions.

What is not known? Why would Dennis Klossner and Ricky Dattola do this? Were they really just that angry and spiteful that the School Superintendent made a decision in the best interest of the football program and the student athletes. Why give all the money to agencies that do not have anything to do with high school football? Why dissolve the organization instead of just passing it on to the new football program leadership? Why force the donors of the new organization to have to pay all the cost to start up a new non-profit entity. Why did Dennis Klossner and Ricky Dattola believe they owned this organization instead of living up to their role as the current caretakers? Where exactly did every dollar of that donated money go once they hatched their plan to disburse and dissolve the Booster Club and leave the new football program leadership hanging. Why did they think their actions were in the best interest of the student athletes?

Why is the Tupper Lake Football Booster Club not registered with the New York State Attorney General's, Charities Bureau, as required by New York State law. Was their status as an 501(c)3 valid with the Internal Revenue Service as required by federal law? Was the Tupper Lake Football Booster Club complying with all state and federal laws that pertain to the solicitation, holding and disbursement of funds for charitable purposes? If Dennis Klossner and Ricky Dattola truly "disbanded" the organization, did they comply with state and federal laws regarding disbursement of funds? Who was the attorney who advised the organization to make these decisions?

While all the official information is sought, and answers to the above questions researched, I offer one very simple solution to Dennis Klossner and Ricky Dattola - GIVE IT BACK! Just harness the same level of courage and tenacity that you expended in spite and destruction and get every dollar of the money back from those you involved in your self-satisfying power trip. Tell all those worthy organizations you acted foolishly and with absolute malice and you need their help in making it right. Tell them you will work tirelessly to help them raise legitimate funds for their critical programs, but they cannot have the money people donated for high school football. Or, pay it all back yourselves, out of your own pockets, just like a judge would make anyone do that took money intended for one purpose, used it for another and then painfully tried to justify their inappropriate actions. GIVE IT ALL BACK so the new Football Coach can use it to form a legally sufficient and enduring non-profit entity to ensure the student athletes of the future are able to have all the equipment they need to represent Tupper Lake on the Section 10, 11-Man Football field. GIVE IT ALL BACK and prove that despite your self-serving deeds, you really care about the student athletes past, present and future. GIVE IT ALL BACK today, don't make this any worse than it is, do the right thing, GIVE IT ALL BACK!

Respectfully,
Stephen Jellie

07/14/2026

ONE TOWN - TOO MUCH TAX - NO LEADERSHIP

If you were out on your boat enjoying the beautiful summer evening or you are on some well-deserved vacation time, good for you and your family, there is no better time to be in the Adirondacks, unless you are a true local and you likely prefer fall.

Business as usual at the regular meeting of the Tupper Lake Town Council, only worse, which is really hard to believe if you have been following the conflicts of interest, chaos and corruption of the last 14 months. But yes, tonight was surprising and then worse.

A really well researched and heartfelt presentation was made this evening by the newly appointed Tupper Lake High School Head Football Coach, an individual with nothing personal at stake, nothing to financially gain but certainly he risked the wrath of Ricky Dattola, and as it turns out the Business Group. Our new football coach displayed the type of community fortitude we need a lot more of by stating the truth to the Town Council, with enough details that the Town Council must investigate and act accordingly, as Councilor Boudreau stated, "we took an oath".

We have all heard the rumors about where the remaining money from the Football Booster Club went, but likely no one embraced it, after all, it was all just rumors. We heard the stories of the spiteful behavior and just plain rude manner in which the new head coach and the Athletic Director were being treated by the former Head Coach and the Booster Club President, but I think most of us just dismissed it as sour grapes from the really wise (and obvious) decision made by the Tupper Lake School District leadership to change the direction of the football program; a decision that has widespread community support, some vocal and most quiet but no significant effort to maintain status quo. Many people have long believed the primary reason 11-man football was not possible had nothing to do with student enrollment and it appears that belief was correct now that a proper change of responsibility has occurred.

So where did the remaining funds from the former Football Booster Club go? According to the new football coach, and leader of the new organization that raises funds for the football program, they did not receive any of it, not $1 of it prior to the President of the Football Booster Club deciding to dissolve the organization that has existed for over 30 years. Brace yourself, this is going to read just like one of my many posts involving the Town Supervisor and his chain-link of conflicted inappropriate and unethical relationships. Booster Club President Ricky Dattola gave $2000 to the Town of Tupper Lake Recreation Department - you know one of the departments that he supervises as the Town Supervisor. He did not notify the Town Council, and subsequently the Town Council did not approve the receipt of the revenue, or its intended use. The new coach also stated that he gave some of the remaining funds to the Rotary Club, but in speaking with a Rotary Club officer after the meeting, there is no official record of that occurring, so either the Rotary Club President didn't tell anyone on the Rotary Board that he gave them the funds, or there are funds unaccounted for, either is problematic. You won't be surprised to learn that the Town Supervisor, Rotary Club President and Booster Club President likely violated several sections of federal and state law that pertains to non-profit organizations, local government and conflicts of interest, but who are we kidding, Ricky Dattola prides himself on thinking "outside the rules" which makes this matter really unsurprising.

What was surprising this evening? The Town Supervisor, who normally remains mum to any public criticism or question he does not want to answer in public, immediately dismissed the new coach's findings, and feelings, as "total malarky" and an insult to the former Football Booster Club. Zero acceptance of any wrong-doing, zero empathy for the presenter's position, zero concern that perhaps he and the former coach went a bit too far in their spite for being told the time had come for a change and most notable, zero leadership. But it felt like he had about a thousand reasons why giving the remaining funds to the new football program, money that was given by donors for the football program was just not the right thing to do. In fact, he stated "if you don't want us fine, that is your decision, you don't get our money". Our money? Who exactly is "our" and when did those funds become "ours" for any purpose other than what they were solicited for and expected to be used for?

What was "worse"? A couple of Ricky Dattola's Business Group peeps were in the crowd, well staged and scripted for their role of immortalizing their leader and defending his every action, except they just sounded ridiculous. The first espoused the Town Supervisor's greatness of effort and total dedication to the community and the visual "harm" being done to Tupper Lake by all this contentious squabbling and personal griping that is available for public consumption, including visitors. He seemed to buy into the standard line of twisted thinking that we should all carefully guard the notion of making Tupper Lake "look bad" while disregarding the fact that some recent events actually "are bad". The second, a man I have previously heard speak more eloquently and rationally, was just bizarre. His primary punch in the matter was that we should all be speaking, debating and reconciling in venues that do not include the presence of the media because they do their job "exceptionally well" by writing salacious articles that do not serve the Town or Community well. Again, protecting the image was the primary theme, not actually solving the problems that are truly holding ONE Tupper Lake from realizing its full and future potential. Later in the meeting the same individual may have gotten his feelings hurt when it was implied that the Recreation Committee, that he chairs and was established by the Town Supervisor, may not serve any valuable purpose to the Recreation Department. Neither of them had any comment when I recapped the lengthy list of real problems brought to the attention of the Town Council that have to-date received no attention, but that would have required tipping toeing into the land of reality that I do not believe any of the Business Group is interested in visiting as they are all most certain they define "reality" for the rest of us.

With the exception of the Recreation Department and the Dog Warden, the rest of the Town Departments are in dire need of qualified personnel to rectify the growing list of deficiencies and problems; things are not good. The Town's primary function of establishing Fair Market Valuation of each property has collapsed and there is no clear or financial plan to fix it. Councilor Larkin praised the initial work of the newly appointed Highway Superintendent and noted that he inherited a "hornet's nest"; which was a surprising comment I never heard him state when the former Highway Superintendent was present. The Code Enforcement Department is down to (1) part-time position from (2) full-time positions rendering that program almost "non-existent" as characterized by Village Trustee Eric Shaheen in his remarks to the Town Council. Vacancies on Boards and Committees are not being advertised publicly for applicants for Town Council review and discussion but rather the Town Supervisor continues to shoe-horn his desired picks from people that will be loyal to his status quo, Business Group agenda. The Town Attorney functions entirely at the behest of the Town Supervisor, either supporting or complicitly defending his desire to disregard anything that appears to comply with the laws of the State of New York or the policies of the Town. It was disclosed this evening that the Town's Gravel Pit permit with the APA has expired, and the permit with the DEC will expire at year end. The discussion on the topic was not encouraging as the process will likely take time and money the Town does not have. He did provide an over-the-top path to fast tracking the new Town Land Use Code after stalling its adoption for over 4 years in review, and he begrudgingly admitting that the Town made a mistake when it denied a FOIL request to an individual that caught a Town employee recording them at a recent Board of Assessment Review hearing.

Appearing good, or great, is by product of actually being good or great, and anyone that encourages otherwise likely does not have the community's best interest at heart or mind; which is of course my opinion. Concealing or ignoring problems has never been the most efficient tactic for problem-solving, that is a fact. Breaking the law or knowingly violating the established procedures and processes is illegal. Refusing to answer questions or address legitimate issues is cowardly and it casts doubt on the legitimacy of the entire body. Serving the needs of a few, or yourself, at the expense of the greater good is not democracy, no matter how many excuses you make.

Town Supervisor Ricky Dattola must be removed from office prior to the end of his term, the risk of costly or irreparable damage to the Town is too great and the failures of process may already be too extensive to repair timely. I am calling on the Town Council to seek his resignation, or request support for a criminal and procedural investigation from the Franklin County District Attorney to substantiate a request to the New York State Supreme Court to remove him from office under Section 36 of the New York State Public Officers Law for misconduct, maladministration, malfeasance and malversation, all of which I believe can be substantiated with a preponderance of evidence.

Respectfully,
Stephen Jellie

06/27/2026

ONE TUPPER LAKE

Land Use Code and Property Assessment

July 1, 2026, is a big day in Tupper Lake.

First - After just 5 years of waiting for the Town Attorney to complete his review, some say 7 years, the Town and Village governments are holding a public hearing to discuss the proposed joint Town and Village Land Use Code. The meeting will be held at the Emergency Services Center on Santa Clara Avenue at 6pm.

In the typical less than transparent fashion that Town Supervisor Ricky Datolla and Village Mayor Mary Fontana conduct important business, they did all they could to ensure minimal participation by holding this public hearing 3 days before the most celebrated and traveled summer holiday, they only advertised in places they absolutely had to and they have not posted the most up-to-date information anywhere that you can easily locate it; why - because they do not really care what anyone, other than members of the Business Group, really thinks about the first revision to the Land Use Code in 50 years. I recommend that you obtain all the information you can prior to the meeting by calling the Town Planner, Jessica Eggsware, and show up anyway - your input is important and we really do not want to leave the future of land use in the community up to those that have an agenda that does not benefit ONE TUPPER LAKE.

Second - On July 1st, the Town of Tupper Lake Final Property Valuation and Assessment Roll becomes the law of land for another year. Another year where many of you will be stuck paying more than your fair share of property tax because the Town Supervisor and the Town Assessor refuse to properly conduct the business of fairly valuing and assessing each property in accordance with New York State Real Property Tax Law. Another year of the most valuable property owners paying less than their fair share, while the newest property owners pay way more than their fair share. Another year where the Town Assessor's inability to maintain fair market value of all property in the Town at 100% will save the Town Supervisor and some members of his family thousands of dollars in property taxes due. Another year where the Town Assessor's lack of any education and experience when initially hired by the Town Supervisor will require more and more taxpayer funds to restore the fair and equitable balance that existed prior to Ricky Datolla taking office in 2023. Another year of "unavoidable" tax increases that provide less and less service each year but cost you more and more money out of your pocket.

July 4, 2026, is the 250th Anniversary of our great nation and the grand experiment called DEMOCRACY. For 250 years we the people have continued to hold DEMOCRACY as the most effective method of governing ourselves at the federal, state and local level, and for good reason, obvious to all. However, DEMOCRACY is not free, and it requires the active participation from each and every one of us if it is to succeed in serving us all, fairly and equitably. We are all watching the federal government fail us, daily, regardless of which political party you favor. We are all watching State government chase people out of our state annually, with little we can do to stop the abusive spending. WE do NOT need to continue to watch Town Supervisor Ricky Datolla and Village Mayor Mary Fontana serve themselves and their Business Group cronies first and foremost and the rest of us when it suits them. Agree with me, disagree with me, it makes no difference. What makes a difference is that you take the time to participate in the decision-making process beyond voting, that you take the time to understand the important topics that are shaping our community and that you take the time to let your local elected officials know that you want ONE TUPPER LAKE, that serves everyone equally.

Respectfully,
Stephen Jellie

06/09/2026

Property Tax Assessment

Was the Appointed Town Assessor Legally Hired?

Earlier in the week, I sent (5) questions to the Town Council with the request they be answered in public at the regular Town Council meeting this evening, June 8, 2026; no luck, not a word to any of the following informational questions:

1. Who directly supervises the Town Assessor? Is it the Town Supervisor or the Town Council as a body.

2. Who provided the Town Assessor the policy instruction of what level of Fair Market Value (FMV) all parcels in the Town of Tupper Lake would maintain in 2025/2026?

3. Why has the Town of Tupper Lake elected to allow the FMV of all property parcels to be reduced below 100% since 2023?

4. Has the direct supervisor for the Town Assessor provided specific instructions to the Town Assessor for level of FMV will be maintained for 2026/2027?

5. What is the Town of Tupper Lake's plan for restoring 100% FMV of all parcels in the Town of Tupper Lake?

The Town Council did not respond to any of those inquiries and after doing some additional research this week, it appears one of the reasons they do not want to respond may have to do with the Town Assessor's absence of any qualifications for the position when she was hired.

New York State clearly establishes that candidates for the position of appointed Town Assessor must possess one of the following:

High School Diploma: Two years of satisfactory full-time paid experience involving the valuation of real property.

Two-Year College Degree: One year of satisfactory full-time real property valuation experience.

Four-Year College Degree: Graduation from an accredited four-year college with a bachelor's degree.

Certified Appraiser: Possession of a New York State General or Residential Certified Real Estate Appraiser license.

You can read in greater detail at the following link:
https://www.tax.ny.gov/research/property/assess/training/soleassessors.htm

In reviewing the information provided by the Town of Tupper Lake through the FOIL process, I was able to learn that the current Town Assessor, Jessica Eggsware, did not meet any of the above qualification standards when she was hired, in fact, she did not even come close to meeting any of the standards.

According to records obtained from the Town of Tupper Lake, Jessica Eggsware (aka: Jessica Kelley) was hired on December 22, 2022 as the Assistant to the Assessor and Deputy Clerk, although it does not appear that her hiring was formally approved by the Town Council as a request for the resolution appointing her came back: no record found. A later resolution identified Mrs. Eggsware as a part-time clerk for the Town of Tupper Lake.

On July 1, 2023, the Town Assessor Paul O'Leary retired. His request for resignation / retirement was approved at the June 8, 2023 regular meeting of the Town Council by unanimous vote.

Also at the June 8, 2023 regular meeting of the Town Council, Jessica Eggsware, then a part-time Town Clerk with the Town of Tupper Lake, was approved for a "job change" to the position of full-time Assessor, Planner and Zoning Administrator by unanimous vote of Town Supervisor Ricky Dattola and Town Councilors Tracy Luton, Mary Fontana, John Gillis and Rick Donah.

So, how exactly was Jessica Eggsware appointed to the full-time position of Town Assessor, Planner and Zoning Administrator without any full-time experience in any of disciplines required? How with 6 months as a part-time town clerk was Jessica Eggsware appointed a full-time position, actually (3) positions, that was not advertised to the public or competed fairly among the existing workforce? How did the Town Supervisor and Town Council expect an individual with no formal education, experience or training in property evaluation or assessments to maintain the Town's Fair Market Value (FMV) of all property at 100%, as required by NYS Real Property Tax Law when she had taken (1) on-line course prior to appointment. Did New York State grant an exception to policy or waive qualifications, or did Town Supervisor Ricky Dattola completely disregard the qualification standards established state-wide so he could install his nephew and business partner's girlfriend into the position? Did Town Attorney Kirk Gagnier advise the Town Supervisor and Town Council on this action, or was that not part of his contractual requirement since the matter was related to "property tax assessment" which his contract does not require him to participate in, unless he is given a separate contract. Did the Town Supervisor obtain other legal advice in this matter, or did he do just what he pleases, regardless of the law, regulations or rules.

The Town of Tupper Lake Property Tax process is in turmoil. The burden of paying property taxes has been shifted away from those than own the most expensive properties, for the longest periods of time, to those that recently purchased, or renovated property. Residents that can least afford more taxes, are paying more than their share, and will be for the foreseeable future, while the wealthy see huge breaks in the amounts due from their town, county and school taxes. The Town Supervisor has no plan for restoring equality to the tax assessment system and he won't provide even the slightest justification why he believes this shifting of the property tax burden is good for the community, although the fact that he is avoiding thousands of dollars in property taxes due on the many properties he and his family own throughout the town may offer the most real-time rationale.

Town Assessor Jessica Eggsware does not want to respond to any questioning, in private or public, about why or how she is conducting the business of valuation and assessment of all property within the Town, most notably why she has allowed the equalization rate and fair market values of all property to drop below 60% for the first time in decades. The list of questionable conflict of interest relationships that exist between her and the Town Supervisor, and her involvement with property assessment matters for those she is directly related to or romantically engaged with continues to grow with no explanation, such as the approval of an agricultural exemption (apple orchard) for the Town Supervisor's brother on a property that likely produces the aggregate amount of black flies but seriously falls short of enough apples to pass the revenue test for an apple orchard - more to follow on that.

The potential matters of misconduct, maladministration, malfeasance within the Town of Tupper Lake continue to stack up, most of which began since Ricky Dattola took office in 2023. The Town Attorney, also the Town Supervisor's long-time personal attorney, is complicit to the demands of the Town Supervisor and from my view provides no guard rails to protect the taxpayers from the potentially illegal or unethical actions taking place on any front. The Town's financial position, once solid, was recently discovered to have blown through over half it's fund balance (savings) since Ricky Dattola took office, setting up the third increase in property taxes that will be levied on the ONE Tupper Lake community, unequally, in 2026. It also means that the $350K - $500K needed to restore the Town's property valuation with either have to wait or force a beyond reasonable increase in the town tax levy; which is likely no coincidence.

A formally requested review of the Town's financial and operational practices by the Office of the New York State Comptroller cannot happen soon enough, it may be the only way the ONE Tupper Lake community will ever know the truth about what has and is occurring within Town government and how soon we can expect relief. Summer is here, and although we are all eager to escape the daily grind, it is more important than ever that residents (full-time and seasonal) remain engaged in seeking the change needed within our local government construct, or one thing is for certain, the status quo, antiquated manner in which local government functions will remain in control.

Respectfully,
Stephen Jellie

Applicants must meet minimum qualification standards before being appointed to the office of assessor. The training and qualification requirements for sole appointed assessors are defined in 20 NYCRR 8188 (§8188-2.2).