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Middletown awards $333,000 basic contract for statutorily required property revaluation
Summary
Council awarded a basic full revaluation contract (Vision/Division Government Solutions) at $333,000 after staff explained statutory obligations, vendor bid amounts, and levels of interior access; councilors discussed low interior‑inspection rates and the limited likelihood of a statewide change to the revaluation schedule.
The Town Council authorized a basic contract for a statutorily required full property revaluation, accepting a bid from Vision/Division Government Solutions for approximately $333,000.
Assessing staff explained Rhode Island requires periodic full revaluations and described two proposals the town received: the basic service priced at about $333,000 and an enhanced package estimated near $499,000 that would include additional outreach and follow-up. The assessor (George) told the council that vendors report being able to gain interior access to roughly 40% of properties on average and that the enhanced option increases vendor attempts and follow-up communications to raise that rate.
Councilors probed the equity and cost implications of spending substantially more for additional outreach given the historical difficulty of securing interior access (seasonal second homes and post‑COVID reluctance were cited). One councilor asked whether the town could seek statutory relief from the three‑year revaluation cycle; staff said prior requests to alter the statewide schedule had not succeeded and changing the schedule would require General Assembly action and broad multi‑community support.
After discussion the council passed the resolution to award the basic full‑revaluation contract and authorized the finance director to execute agreements. Staff said the enhanced option remains on the table for future consideration if circumstances change.
