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House bill proposes formula to value telecom use of rights‑of‑way; providers warn of duplication and litigation
Summary
HB 15‑67 would create a standardized formula (length × 1‑ft width × average adjacent land value / 43,560) to value telecommunications use of public rights‑of‑way. Municipal assessors and some towns supported a predictable method; industry groups warned it could duplicate franchise fees, be administratively complex, and create inequities based on adjacent land values.
Representative Sean Durkin introduced HB 15‑67 to add a statutory formula for assessing the taxable value of telecommunication companies’ use of public rights‑of‑way. The proposal would compute a taxable area by multiplying the length of network on specified road classes by a notional 1‑foot right‑of‑way width and the locality’s average assessed land value (divided by 43,560 to convert square feet to acres).
Jim Wheeler, a civil engineer who drafted the example approach, said the formula would reduce disputes and litigation by making valuation straightforward and local: "Length is well known…
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