Residents at a Warren County Board of Commissioners meeting criticized the county's property reassessment process, questioned the contractor choice and asked who will audit whether taxing bodies keep revenues within the limits set by state law.

Public commenters said reassessment notices have produced what they called arbitrary and inflated values. "The values that they're placing on these things pay no attention to inflation," one resident said. The same speaker added, "The company put this ridiculous assessment on my home," and described multiple factual errors on individual notices.

The matter matters because state law requires revenue for taxing bodies to remain within a 10% band in 2026, a constraint speakers and commissioners said will affect millage decisions. A resident warned that the county, school district and municipalities will need to reset millage rates once reassessments take effect. County staff told the room that the formal appeals process will begin in August and that the county cannot give final tax estimates until November, after appeals conclude.

County staff explained their procurement: the county issued an RFP, received two bids and selected the firm the county judged to offer the best combination of price and services. "We RFP ed, and we received 2 quotes," a staff member said, and added that the selected vendor offered more services at a lower price than the other bidder. Members of the public noted the vendor is based out of state and questioned why a local firm was not selected. The county replied that only two companies were licensed in Pennsylvania and that the selection was based on services and cost.

Residents described problems they said they found in field reviews, including incorrect descriptions of building types and missing on-site inspections. One resident described a pattern they called a strategy: placing very high initial assessments to prompt many office visits and public appeals, and said neighbors were upset and some feared being forced toward sale.

County staff and commissioners advised residents to file informal and formal appeals and to bring documentation to review hearings. Staff reiterated that the tax impact numbers will not be finalized until after appeals. Officials also noted that taxing bodies such as the school district have their own solicitors and financial officers who must ensure compliance with state law on revenue neutrality when they set millage rates.

The meeting produced no formal change to the reassessment contract during the recorded discussion; commissioners and staff emphasized available appeal paths and said formal tax estimates will be issued in November after appeals are processed.