Reappraisal raises St. Albans grand list 63%; residents report large tax-bill increases

City officials and residents spent more than two hours Tuesday discussing a citywide property reappraisal that increased the taxable grand list by roughly 63% and has produced widely different tax-bill effects across neighborhoods. City staff and the finance director described how a higher grand-list denominator reduced the municipal tax rate overall even as many homeowners reported sharp increases in their total bills.

The reappraisal, conducted with Tyler Technologies and completed after about 13 years without a full update, used recent sales to bring assessed values closer to fair market value, city staff said. Chip (staff presenter) explained that the state monitors sales and a municipality’s “common level of appraisal” — or CLA — and can order reappraisals when local assessed values lag market sales. "Reappraisals are necessary to maintain the fairness of all the values on the grand list," Chip said.

Why it matters: property taxes are calculated by dividing the tax levy by total taxable value on the grand list. Sarah Meci, director of finance and administration, said the budget voters approved in March included a 9% increase in the municipal tax levy; that levy divided by a much larger grand list produced a lower city tax rate, but individual bills still varied depending on how each property’s value changed in the reappraisal. "The city tax rate itself did decrease by 33%," Meci said, while explaining sector shifts pushed more of the levy onto residential properties.

Officials and residents described the mechanics that produced surprising bills: residential values rose faster than commercial and business-equipment values, shifting the distribution of the tax levy. City staff said residential properties and some multifamily apartments saw average increases well above the 63% mean — the city’s residential-mode increase fell in the 75%–100% range — so owners of those properties often saw tax increases larger than the 9% levy change. At the same time, commercial and business-equipment values held steady or rose less, shrinking those sectors’ share of the grand list.

Residents pressed for relief options. Several asked whether the city could phase in climbing assessments or offer tiered increases; councilors and staff said the municipal discretion is limited. Chip and other staff emphasized that the state sets the rules for the statewide education tax, and that much of each bill funds education. Staff described two limited municipal levers: offering local payment accommodations (for example, more flexible delinquency and tax-sale practices) and using redevelopment or TIF-driven grand-list growth over time to broaden the tax base.

Grievances and appeals: staff said the reappraisal process included mailings, door hangers, 209 preliminary data-review meetings, and 134 grievance meetings. After the assessor’s responses, seven property owners filed appeals to the Board of Civil Authority. Chip and Meci urged property owners who believe their assessed data are incorrect to use the assessor’s grievance process next year and, if still necessary, to appeal to the Board of Civil Authority; the city noted that economic‑hardship abatement petitions are a separate process.

State rebate timing and formula: Meci said the state’s homestead “income sensitivity” rebate contributed to bill surprises because the rebate calculation uses last year’s property values and incomes; after a reappraisal that mismatch can reduce rebate amounts for one year. She also said the city has received late state rebate payments this year and will issue revised tax bills to affected owners when those payments post.

Residents described difficulty engaging during the short complaint windows. One resident said he requested a site visit and then found the grievance meetings scheduled after tax bills were mailed. Staff apologized for individual communication failures and said they would review the assessor outreach and follow up with property owners who reported inadequate responses.

What happens next: council members and staff said broader reductions in residents’ bills will depend mainly on statewide education funding decisions and longer-term grand-list growth through development. Staff urged homeowners with questions about their property card, room counts, square footage or comparable sales to request their property card, meet with the assessor during next year’s change-of-value period, and, if necessary, appear before the Board of Civil Authority.