Council approves five-year full-value assessment contract with Associated Appraisal

The Fort Atkinson City Council on Aug. 19 authorized the city manager to execute a five-year contract with Associated Appraisal for full-value assessment services at a rate not to exceed $63,000 per year for assessment years 2026 through 2030.

Clerk/Treasurer Evert reviewed the city's assessment history and explained the distinction between a maintenance contract and full-value maintenance. She said the city’s assessment level for 2025 was about 83.24%, below the statutory in-range target of 90–110%, which creates noncompliance risk. Evert said the city had an interim market update in 2023 after a 2017 full revaluation and that remaining out of compliance could have required a much more expensive catch-up revaluation in the future.

The proposed five-year contract would provide continuous full-value maintenance to keep the city in compliance annually; Evert and manager comments said staying in compliance over five years is preferable to risking higher revaluation costs later. Staff told the council the $63,000 annual rate does not increase over the contract and that a full revaluation in the future would likely be substantially more expensive (staff cited an estimate of about $240,000 for a full reval plus maintenance).

Council approved the motion by voice vote.