Rindge residents press select board over 2025 revaluation; board asks state revenue office for help

At a packed Rindge select board meeting, town leaders and dozens of residents spent the evening focused on the townwide 2025 revaluation conducted by assessing firm Avatar.

The chair opened the public discussion by outlining the state rules that govern revaluations and abatements, explaining that Avatar performed the reassessment under guidance from the Department of Revenue Administration and that abatement forms must be submitted before March 1 to be considered locally, with unresolved matters appealable to the Board of Tax and Land Appeals (BTLA). The chair told residents the board had received 252 taxpayer review requests and that final, adjusted figures had not yet been delivered to the town.

Many speakers urged the board to press the state for assistance and to explore delaying tax-rate decisions until contested valuations are clarified. After public comment the board voted unanimously to direct Interim Town Administrator Max to contact the DRA commissioner and to coordinate outreach with the towns state representatives.

Residents described a mix of technical and customer-service problems with the revaluation. One property owner gave a detailed technical critique of Avatars waterfront valuation method, saying a single sale had been used for a lake base value and that omitting other qualified sales "can vastly skew the numbers one way or the other," which could produce inflated base rates for dozens of properties. The speaker urged the board to re-evaluate waterfront base values to avoid significant abatements and a large overlay on town finances if many appeals succeed.

Victoria Reed of Paradise Island, who said she had reviewed the 361-page assessment package, told the board she found inconsistent application of classification codes and subjective multipliers that treated adjacent properties differently. "One of the things that I found is an arbitraryness to the way they classify everything about each property," Reed said, citing differing codes and upcharges for similar lakeshore lots.

Residents and the board discussed practical next steps: compiling market comparables, photographs and other evidence now so homeowners are ready to file abatements if necessary; asking Avatar to document any changes that result from residentsinputs; and seeking DRA guidance about whether the town can (or should) defer tax-rate setting or reuse last years rate while disagreements are resolved. The chair warned of the legal and financial limits of local authority, noting that the town must follow state statute and DRA rules regarding revaluations and timelines.

The meeting provided several concrete process clarifications for residents: abatement forms must be filed by March 1 to be eligible for local hearings; if the board cannot complete abatements by the statutory local deadline, an abatement can be deemed denied and the property owner may then appeal to the BTLA; and BTLA appeals generally cost less than a court challenge but have their own time frames and procedures.

The select board emphasized it had not yet accepted final figures and that it would continue pressing Avatar for corrections where evidence supports changes. The board also recommended that homeowners who have appraisals, comparables or photos compile that material and submit it now to speed corrections or to support future abatement requests.

The board adjourned the revaluation discussion with an action: a motion directing the town administrator to contact the DRA commissioner and coordinate with state representatives to seek guidance or a potential delay in tax-rate actions while outstanding issues are addressed. The motion passed on a unanimous voice vote.