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Resident criticizes town revaluation process, cites missing assessor records and errors
Summary
A Westport Island resident raised detailed complaints about the town’s revaluation: delayed records/FOIA responses, missing or incorrect assessor cards, unrecorded renovations and unclear assessment manuals; board members said staff has forwarded the requests to the assessor and asked the resident to submit a consolidated list.
During public comment at the Jan. 12 Select Board meeting a resident who was addressed as Mario criticized the town’s revaluation process and raised specific complaints about assessor procedures and records.
Mario said he had sought information and filed requests, and that he had not received promised follow‑up: “He said he would have an assessor call me. That was middle of December. I didn't get any answer.” He told the board he reviewed roughly 53 assessor cards and found many errors, including properties where interior changes (an added bathroom, kitchen renovations) were not recorded, a shed not appearing on the card despite a permit, and heating system changes that were not reflected in the assessment records. He also said a lack of published assessment manuals made it difficult for residents to understand how values were being set.
Board members responded that staff had forwarded the resident’s requests to the assessor (named in the meeting as Josh) and that Josh is collecting data; staff asked the resident to provide a consolidated list of the errors he has found so they can be addressed together. The board noted some requested items may be outside the scope of the current revaluation work and that a manual will be completed after the assessment is finished.
Mario also raised a broader concern about tax shifts after revaluation, saying county tax revenue rose by about $65,000 while the town saw only roughly $7,000–$8,000 in increased homestead revenue (as described by the speaker). He said that discrepancy made the revaluation feel unfair and reinforced his concerns about errors in assessor records.
Board members and staff committed to follow up: staff said Josh would provide materials mid‑month and that if the resident provides a single consolidated list of identified errors the town will forward them to the assessor for correction or clarification.
The transcript contains several unclear or garbled numeric readings and occasional uncertain name spellings; the claims in this article are reported verbatim from the meeting record and remain unresolved in the transcript. Readers should consult official minutes or the town for any later corrections or outcomes.
