John Warshick, a Needham resident and landlord, told the Town of Needham Board of Assessors on July 31 that recent assessment increases on several of his properties left him unable to absorb higher taxes and forced him to consider state appeals. “Now with these tax increases this past year, some of my taxes went up 50% on one of the properties,” Warshick said during public comment at the board's hybrid Zoom meeting.

Warshick said he rents mostly one-bedroom units to local residents and that he tries to keep rents reasonable; he told the board he has filed abatements for multiple addresses and plans to appeal to the Appellate Tax Board (ATB) if he and assessors cannot reach agreement. “I was hit with this all at once,” he said. “If you had warned me a year or two in advance… I could have adjusted the leases in advance.”

Why it matters: Warshick framed the issue as both a financial burden on small landlords and a driver of local housing change if tear-downs or sales to builders follow higher land valuations. He argued some assessment increases showed inconsistent treatment of land and building values on nearby lots and raised specific concerns about conservation or sewer easements that, he said, limit buildability and should reduce assessed value.

At the meeting, Assessor Julie (staff member) explained that building values are computed using current replacement-cost data (Marshall & Swift) and that the town completed a state-directed full revaluation this year, a process that can produce large, uneven changes compared with prior years when values were not increased as much. Julie said some perceived inconsistencies reflect adjustments for lot desirability, setbacks and other parcel-specific factors. She and board members invited Warshick to schedule a detailed, in-person review of each flagged parcel before he files with the ATB.

The board voted in executive session on multiple abatement applications and announced the results on the record after returning to open session. Assessor Julie read the rulings: 152 Second Ave — denied; 378 Hillside Rd — granted; 95 Hampton Ave — denied; 45 Kearney Rd — denied; 900 Greendale, Unit 15 — denied (correction announced at meeting); 345 Cartwright Rd (revised application) — granted; 300 First Ave — set aside for next week. The board also approved the minutes of its July 17 meeting and set the next meeting for Aug. 28 at 9:30 a.m.

Discussion versus decisions: Warshick’s remarks were part of the public comment period and thus discussion; the board’s determinations of specific abatements were formal decisions announced after an executive-session review. The board advised Warshick that he can preserve an ATB filing date (the staff noted a 90-day appeal filing period was applicable) and that ATB scheduling may be several months out.

What the assessors said: Julie described the valuation methodology and noted that increased costs for construction materials and insurance contribute to higher replacement-cost values used in assessment calculations. The chair, John Bullion, opened the meeting by noting the session was being recorded and confirmed the public comment period.

Next steps: Assessors offered to meet with Warshick and review each abatement in detail before he finalizes any appeal to ATB. Warshick said he planned to proceed with filings while pursuing a meeting with the assessors.

(Reporting note: quotations and attributions are drawn from the July 31, 2025 public meeting of the Needham Board of Assessors.)