Hamilton County assessor explains reappraisal process, why district valuations rose

At a Chattanooga City Council meeting, Hamilton County Assessor Marta Hanks and senior appraisal analyst Donnie Bell outlined how the assessor’s office calculates property values, why some districts saw sharp valuation increases from 2021 to 2025 and how the appeals process works.

Hanks said the office uses a mass-appraisal method tied to neighborhood sales and state oversight. “We are only allowed to use residential sales of properties that are similar to yours in age, size, and description,” she told council members, adding that assessors “stay as close as we can within a neighborhood.” The office tracks sales back to 2021 and compiles them in a public home-sales comparison tool on its website.

The explanation matters because council members have been fielding constituent concerns about a 56% change in assessed value reported for one district between 2021 and 2025. Hanks told the council most changes are driven by the number and price of neighborhood sales during the appraisal period, not by one-off transactions, and noted…