Hampton assessor: FY 2026 reassessment shows 5.7% taxable-value increase; 43,152 change-of-assessment notices mailed

City Assessor Libby (City Assessor) told the Hampton City Council at its Feb. 12 work session that the citycompleted its FY 2026 reassessment and mailed 43,152 change-of-assessment notices.

The assessor said overall taxable value increased about 5.7% for FY 2026 and that the citytaxable total after exemptions is approximately $891,154,167. She said residential parcels make up about 56% of assessed value and exempt property accounts for roughly 21% of the grand total.

The reassessment presentation noted 4,160 recorded property transfers during the year (down from 4,257 in 2023), a sizable jump in median sale prices compared with the prior year, and that 917 parcels received assessed increases greater than 25%.

"If you do not feel that that value is accurate, you still have the ability to appeal it as if you had received a postcard," the assessor said, urging residents to use the assessorwebpage at hampton.gov/assessor for property information. She identified two appeal deadlines printed on the change-of-assessment card: an office review deadline of March 10 and board-of-review applications to be heard no later than June 30, 2025.

City Manager Mary Bunting and the assessor both emphasized that reassessments reflect market data collected across the calendar year and do not themselves set tax rates. "When people get their notices about their assessments going up, the first reaction is always 'My taxes are going up'," Bunting said, adding that councilhas in prior years adjusted the tax rate to offset assessment increases.

The assessor described the methods used to determine market value: review of arm's-length sales, exclusion of foreclosures and other nonqualifying sales, use of multiple-listing-system information, and on-site reviews when parcel characteristics appear incorrect or have changed.

The assessornoted the assessor's office holds certification from the International Association of Assessing Officers and that staffers are available to meet with property owners and review the comparables and data used in valuations.

Council members asked for a breakdown of exemptions handled by the Commissioner of the Revenue (including elderly/disabled tax relief, disabled-veteran exemptions and deferred-tax properties). Interim Commissioner of the Revenue Karen Beaver is scheduled to present those detailed exemption numbers to council in March, the city manager said.

The presentation included statistics showing the count and distribution of change-of-assessment notices, parcel class shifts (including some commercial parcels moving to exempt status after city purchases), and a slide mapping changes by quadrant around the city.

The assessor recommended that residents who question their record data (square footage, number of bathrooms, unpermitted interior remodels, etc.) contact the assessor's office so appraisers can re-evaluate parcels.

For more information and to view your parcel, the assessor listed hampton.gov/assessor and the office phone number on the change-of-assessment postcard.