Residents ask selectmen to review assessor contractor after large revaluations

Two residents told the Board of Selectmen on Sept. 8 that they had received steep increases in their property assessments and urged the town to review the contractor that performed the revaluation. Jeff O'Ligney, a Plaistow resident, said his property assessment rose roughly 50% and that he could not get a clear explanation from the contractor's representative. The concern matters because large, unexplained assessment increases can affect homeowners' tax bills and public trust in the valuation process. O'Ligney said he sought the data and models used to set his new value and described the contractor's responses as evasive. "I started off by saying hello. I'm trying to determine the data used to arrive at my new assessment value," O'Ligney told the board. He said Rob Tozier, identified in his email exchange as the vice president of the contractor (KRT), supplied spreadsheets and background about five‑year revaluations but would not point to which sales or data were used as comparables for his property. "He dumped a large data dump on me of qualified sales. I don't know the definition or his definition of qualified," O'Ligney said. Walter Kosciewicz, another resident, said his assessment jumped substantially and that nearby higher‑priced new construction may be driving comparables upward. He described a conversation with the field assessor and said the assessor relied on a sales‑based model rather than an inspection tied to the physical house. Town Manager Greg Colby responded to both speakers and said the town will follow up with the contractor and review the contract for compliance. Colby said the state requires periodic revaluations and that the town had performed a statistical update this year. "We were below market value. So every 5 years, we're required to do it by law," Colby said, and added the town evaluates median ratios each year and may do additional adjustments if market conditions change. There was no formal motion or vote. The town manager invited the residents to share their email dialogue with KRT; O'Ligney said he would provide the correspondence. Selectmen did not direct specific legal action at the meeting; Colby said staff would contact the contractor and examine whether contractual obligations to substantiate assessments were met. For context, residents described numeric increases (about 50% in one case and roughly $260,000 in another) but did not present municipal audit documents at the meeting. Board members noted social‑media discussion among residents but did not commit to a specific remedy beyond staff follow‑up and a contractual review. The selectmen's next regular meeting will be the venue for any staff update or formal action the town manager brings back.