Summary
At its July 17 meeting the South Burlington Board of Civil Authority was informed that the Walgreens on Shelburne Road has appealed a property tax assessment to the Superior Court; staff said the appeal bypassed the state-assessor step and the Board will be notified if it must participate.
South Burlington’s Board of Civil Authority was informed July 17 that Walgreens has filed a Superior Court appeal of a recent property tax assessment for its Shelburne Road property. The filing follows the company’s decision to put the property up for sale and to vacate the site.
The update was presented as informational; staff said the appeal was filed directly to Superior Court rather than through the state assessor process and that the town does not expect to be involved unless the court notifies them. Staff also said the appeal submission included a filing fee handled as a pass-through to the town, which the presenter described as a procedural surprise.
Why it matters: a Superior Court appeal is a separate legal track from administrative reviews and may change the timeline for any town-level follow-up. At the meeting, staff said they would inform the Board if and when a hearing date is scheduled.
What was said and what happens next: the presenter told the Board that Walgreens had “taken the appeal to the superior court” and that town staff had received the filing; she said, “If and when I learned something, I will report back, but I just wanted everyone to be aware.” The Board did not take action at the meeting.
Background: Board members noted that the appellant did not choose the state-assessor option and went directly to the Superior Court. No dates for a court hearing were provided at the meeting and staff said they had not participated in that court process before.
No vote or motion was recorded on this agenda item. Staff said they will notify the Board if the court requires local participation or additional documentation.
