New assessing contract replaces terminated vendor; committee approves higher line to reflect new bid
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Summary
Following notice that the town’s 2024 assessor terminated its contract, the budget committee approved a replacement contract and added roughly $2,000–$4,000 to the assessing budget to reflect the new vendor’s pricing and inspection invoicing.
The Kingston Budget Committee approved an updated assessing budget Wednesday after the town’s prior assessing contractor notified officials it would not renew its 2024 contract.
Finance staff told the committee they solicited bids and the next‑ranked bidder agreed to hold its 2024 rates; the new contractor’s proposal itemized annual staffing and inspection work differently and produced an estimated total that raised the assessing line to roughly $66,800. Finance staff said the apparent decrease in one line (compared to the terminated contractor) reflects that the replacement firm does not need to repeat earlier groundwork done by the previous assessor, but the total estimated annual cost — including parcel inspections and staffing — increases compared to the previous contract.
Committee members voted to incorporate the replacement contract and the updated number into the proposed budget so the town will have an assessor in place before the budget is finalized.