NORWICH – While the details of a $5 million property assessment relief program remain murky, the Chenango County Board of Supervisors voted to participate in it during a special meeting held Monday.

Fifteen towns, four villages, three school districts and the City of Norwich all requested to take part in what local officials estimate could mean about $500,000 in refunded property taxes available to Chenango County this year. Each jurisdiction was offered the opportunity to participate.

The act, signed by Governor Spitzer in early April, targets individual property owners who can prove to their local grievance boards that they suffered a 50 percent loss in the value of their property as a result of the floods in June and November last year. The county is asked to make application to the state by Sept. 15 for the combined losses found in order to receive reimbursement.

Chenango County Treasurer William E. Evans said if the total amount that all flood ravaged counties request exceeds the $5 million mark, Chenango County’s take could be pro-rated or result in a percentage only.

“We don’t have all the details as to how this is going to work,” he said prior to the vote yesterday. “There has been no guidance for the board of review folks. We stand ready to help them with their questions as this evolves. ... We expect this is going to be as Greek to assessors and board of reviews as it has been to us.”

County Attorney Richard Breslin said the legislation “remains silent on many areas,” such as how local review boards should handle individuals who may have previously received flood relief from FEMA or other organizations, how STAR exemptions to school taxes would be handled or what happens to school districts that don’t opt in at the start. The three districts participating are: Afton Central schools, Bainbridge-Guilford schools and Sidney Central schools.