Waunakee Board of Review upholds assessor valuations, orders corrections to 15 roll errors

The Waunakee Board of Review on Sept. 19 accepted a verbal summary of the village assessor’s interim market update, upheld the assessor’s valuation in an objection hearing for a Wexford Drive homeowner and authorized notices and a follow-up meeting to correct roughly 15 assessment-roll errors created after a software change.

The village’s assessor told the board the 2025 interim market update revalued all properties based on sales through Jan. 1, 2025, without new field inspections. The assessor said assessments rose broadly and that “assessments did go up, I think, on average about 24%,” a change driven by stronger land growth in older neighborhoods. Later data the assessor provided showed an average residential land increase of 29.49% and improvements (structures) up 21.85% across the village.

The update is distinct from the village levy, assessor staff told the board, and the assessment process does not by itself change the tax levy. “The taxes, the amount of the tax collection, the tax levy would be the same whether a revaluation were done or not in that given year,” a village assessor said, explaining that equalized values and levy distribution are handled by the Department of Revenue.

The board heard an in-person objection from Maria Pat of 1000 Wexford Drive, who said the recent jump in her land value was excessive and asked the board to reduce the assessed total from $461,700 to $446,200. The assessor presented a sales-comparison grid of three nearby sales and said the comparable analysis indicated a higher value (about $526,300 by the assessor’s indicated figure). After deliberation the Board of Review voted 5–0 to uphold the assessor’s valuation. The roll-call vote recorded yes votes from Caleb Gottwald, Thomas Wilson, John Aronica, Ron Plummer and Carla Andress.

During public discussion members and residents raised a proposed solar farm near the Savannah Village area and asked whether the board or assessor could proactively reduce assessments if sales later show a localized decline in value. The assessor said Wisconsin law requires the assessor to rely on local sales evidence: if sales in Waunakee show a decline for affected properties, adjustments will follow. “In that case too, we have to look at Waunakee in particular,” the assessor said.

The board also considered internal errors discovered after an internal run of the assessment roll. Staff reported approximately 15 properties whose land value had been recorded as zero following a transition to new software; the list includes outlots in newer subdivisions and at least one mixed-use apartment building on Madison Main Street that had an incorrect land assessment. The board moved to send correction notices to affected property owners and hold a follow-up Board of Review meeting at least 14 days after the mailing to allow owners an opportunity to appear and offer testimony. Members said letters would be mailed as soon as possible and that a follow-up meeting was tentatively targeted for mid-October, with clerk outreach to confirm a date and quorum.

Two scheduled hearings were addressed as well: the board allowed one late-filed objection to be heard because the objector cited “extraordinary circumstances” (a recent hospitalization in the family), and it found another objection by Chris and Michelle Cook in default after repeated nonappearance. The board approved the assessor’s values for the Cooks’ parcel by motion.

Among routine actions during the meeting, the Board of Review approved minutes from previous meetings and elected Tom Wilson as chairperson and Caleb (last name not specified in the transcript) as vice chair. The board adjourned and asked staff to circulate scheduling options for the follow‑up correction meeting.

What happens next: staff will mail the correction notices and set a follow-up Board of Review date at least 14 days after mailing. If the proposed solar project moves forward and local sales patterns change in affected neighborhoods, the assessor said property owners can file appeals again during the next open-book or Board of Review cycle.

Votes at a glance - Approve minutes — motion carried (voice vote). - Elect Tom Wilson as chair — motion carried (voice vote). - Elect Caleb (last name per transcript) as vice chair — motion carried (voice vote). - Authorize mailing correction notices for approximately 15 properties and schedule a follow-up Board of Review meeting at least 14 days after mailing — motion carried (voice vote). - Allow late-filed objection from Maria Pat to be heard (extraordinary circumstances) — motion carried (voice vote). - Uphold assessor valuation for 1000 Wexford Drive (Maria Pat) — roll-call vote 5–0 (Caleb Gottwald, Thomas Wilson, John Aronica, Ron Plummer, Carla Andress: yes). - Find Chris and Michelle Cook in default and approve the assessor’s valuation for their parcel — motion carried (voice vote).

Board members and staff emphasized that assessment increases reflect observable sales data; changes to the village tax levy remain the responsibility of the taxing authorities that set levies, not the Board of Review.

Ending: The Board of Review will reconvene after staff mails correction notices and confirms a follow-up meeting date to consider the listed corrections and any additional timely objections.