Saco shifts property tax due dates after commercial revaluation; owners warned of large increases

The Saco City Council on July 28 approved changes to fiscal‑year‑2026 property‑tax due dates to accommodate a delayed commercial and industrial revaluation conducted by KRT Appraisal.

Councilor Hatch said KRT’s field work and data analysis are complete and will be finalized Aug. 11; the tax commitment will follow. The council voted to set the first half payment due date to Oct. 6, 2025, with interest accruing Oct. 7, 2025, and the second half due March 10, 2026, with interest from March 11, 2026. The EasyPay installment plan will be adjusted from 10 monthly payments to 8 monthly payments, October 2025 through May 2026. The order passed 7‑0.

Councilors said notices already sent to property owners show steep assessment changes that are alarming to landlords and commercial owners. Councilor Johnston said one property he manages showed a 600% increase, equating to a $9,000 tax jump; he warned such changes could lead to rent increases. Councilor Berman and others said the timing and scale are disruptive but observed that revaluations should be done more frequently to avoid sudden large corrections.

City staff said hearings will be available for property owners who wish to contest new assessments. The city administrator noted the delay allowed time for hearings and that the revaluation follows a long interval since the last comprehensive commercial/industrial update.

No changes to tax rates or relief programs were enacted at the meeting; the council approved only the adjusted due dates and EasyPay schedule to align billing with the completed revaluation process.