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Appraisal firm outlines reassessment plan for Boonton; values set as of Oct. 1, 2026
Summary
Appraisal Systems told the Boonton council it will perform a full reassessment to replace a prior revaluation order, with new assessments effective Oct. 1, 2026, an outreach program starting in fall 2025, inspections beginning in November and an extended appeal window after letters are issued.
An appraisal firm gave Boonton officials a timeline Tuesday for a full reassessment that will set property values as of Oct. 1, 2026, and recommended a multi-year maintenance program to keep assessments current.
Appraisal Systems Inc. said the county tax board replaced a revaluation order with a reassessment that will produce new assessments for the 2027 tax year. The firm told the council that preliminary outreach will begin in the fall of 2025, introductory letters and a webinar will be used to inform residents, and a public-facing website will list inspector photos, scheduling tools and preliminary valuations.
"New assessments will be determined as of October 1st, 2026," the Appraisal Systems representative said, describing the fixed valuation date that will govern the reassessment. The firm said some limited on-site inspections will start in November (a light phase) with the bulk of inspections after the start of the next calendar year.
The presenter recommended following the full reassessment with a maintenance program — annual or frequent reassessments — to reduce the lag between market changes and assessed values. He said the approach has been adopted in parts of the county and several North Jersey municipalities.
Council members pressed the firm on practical concerns: how residents will be notified, what to expect if inspectors knock on doors, language access for Spanish-speaking households and how future large developments affect assessments. The presenter said outreach materials and many customer-service functions can be bilingual, that inspections may be rescheduled when residents are unavailable, and that newly approved developments can be incorporated as new ratables when appropriate.
On tax timing, the firm said the reassessment values will be effective Oct. 1, 2026, but residents will not see the full effect in printed tax bills until the new bills are issued in the summer of 2027. If an individual taxpayer's assessment falls, a credit can be applied; if it rises, the taxpayer will need to pay the difference once new bills are issued.
Council members asked about protections for seniors enrolled in local tax-freeze programs and about the appeals window. The presenter said some effects depend on when a household enrolled in a freeze, and that residents will have a short, intensive period after value letters are issued to contest their valuations; under the program the county filing deadline for appeals has been extended from April 1 to May 1 to accommodate the reassessment process.
The firm offered to return around Nov. 10 to provide a one-page tax-impact summary and demonstrated online tools (a tax calculator and downloadable spreadsheets) so residents and council members can estimate likely changes under different budget scenarios.
The council did not take action on the reassessment during the meeting; the presentation was informational and intended to prepare the governing body for the upcoming outreach and implementation work.
