Select Board clears way to state review of 5-year assessing contract recommended for Milford

The Milford Board of Selectmen on Feb. 10 reviewed staff’s recommendation to award a five-year municipal assessing services contract to Whitney Consulting Group LLC and consented to send a draft contract to the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) for the statutorily recommended 10‑day review.

The recommendation, read into the record by the chair, said staff received two proposals by the Jan. 24 deadline. Staff recommended Whitney Consulting Group based on experience, customer service and competitive cost. The proposed contract covers March 1, 2025, through 2029 and totals $452,900; that sum includes a townwide revaluation budgeted at $127,400 in 2026. Annual base cost was described in the draft as roughly $65,100 for each year, with 2026 showing a higher total due to the revaluation (2026 total $192,500 by the figures presented).

Selectmen asked questions about operational details in the proposal. The Whitney Consulting Group president, Steven Hamilton, told the board the company can commit to cyclical parcel inspections at 10% of parcels in the first contract year and aims to return to a more typical 20% annual inspection cycle as staffing allows: “we are able to commit to 10% for the first year and, hopefully, we’ll be able to bring that back up to a regular service level of 20%,” Hamilton said.

Board members pressed on billing and contract terms. Hamilton explained the proposal bills cyclical inspections on a per-parcel basis; only inspections that occur would be billed. Selectmen also questioned the termination clause, which the draft set at a 30‑day termination notice for either party; board members debated whether a longer mutual notice period (for example, 60 days) would be more appropriate. Hamilton said 30–60 days is typical and said he would be comfortable extending the notice to 60 days if the board preferred.

The board did not take a final contract-approval vote that evening. Instead, by general consent the board authorized staff to transmit the draft agreement to the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration for a 10‑day review and any recommendations; the board will consider DRA feedback and return the contract to the Select Board for final action at a subsequent meeting. Selectmen noted the DRA review would not obligate the board to immediate approval and that any recommended edits could be incorporated before final vote.

Why it matters: The contractor will perform parcel inspections, valuation work and a townwide revaluation in 2026; those activities influence property tax assessments and the town’s valuation roll and therefore affect taxpayers and municipal budgeting.

Next steps: Staff to coordinate submission of the draft agreement to the DRA for review; staff will notify the board of DRA comments and bring a revised contract back for a formal vote.