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Lewiston council to ask assessor for two‑year delay on property revaluation after one‑year offer
Summary
After hearing that Chief Assessor Healy had agreed to a one‑year delay, the Lewiston council signaled a super‑majority preference to ask for a two‑year delay or phased implementation of the property revaluation to ease taxpayer impacts and requested the administrator draft a letter to the assessor.
Lewiston councilors spent the latter portion of the workshop debating how to implement a recent citywide property revaluation. Administrator Kinrath reported that Chief Assessor Healy had indicated willingness to delay implementation by one year. Multiple councilors, citing steep assessment increases and constituent concern, urged the council to ask for a longer delay or a phased‑in approach to blunt financial shock.
Councilor Nejean and Councilor Longchamps specifically advocated for a two‑year delay and a phased approach to give residents time to adjust and to broaden outreach about exemptions and abatements. "People need time to digest, figure out how they're going to budget this," Councilor Longchamps said. Several councilors asked the administrator to query Tyler Technologies about extending the May 15 window for informal review of valuations.
Opposing delay, Councilor Chittum argued that implementing a revaluation now corrects known inequities in the old assessments and that delaying would knowingly continue an unfair assessment roll. He warned that postponement could perpetuate disparities that the revaluation sought to remedy.
Councilors discussed the cost and feasibility of a phased approach. Staff said a phased roll‑out could require software changes and programming work estimated at a minimum of roughly $400,000 and possibly as much as $800,000, though estimates varied. Deputy O'Malley clarified homestead‑exemption rules for constituents: applications filed after April 1 generally do not affect that year's taxes, but previously approved exemptions remain in effect for eligible residents.
By the end of the workshop the mayor said at least five councilors favored pursuing a two‑year delay. The mayor directed the city administrator to draft a letter to Chief Assessor Healy expressing that position so the council's preference could be formally communicated.
Next steps identified: staff will ask Tyler Technologies whether the May 15 informal review window can be extended, provide cost breakdowns for a phased implementation, and circulate the drafted letter for council review.
