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Select Board explains proposed $172,000 townwide revaluation; assessor says taxes won’t automatically rise with valuation
Summary
The select board discussed Article 5, a proposed townwide property revaluation to be effective April 1, 2027, estimated at $172,000 and funded largely from reserves; presenters emphasized that increases in assessed value do not automatically raise an individual’s taxes because the mill rate can adjust.
At the Select Board meeting on June 3, officials explained a proposed contract with RCS Assessment Services, Inc. to perform a full townwide property revaluation effective April 1, 2027, estimated at $172,000.
The presenter described the revaluation as a “zero‑based” process that remeasures properties and updates records (decks, sheds and new buildings). The town’s last full revaluation was in 2006; officials said property values have risen sharply since then and the revaluation aims both to update values and to preserve fairness across property types (for example, waterfront versus non‑waterfront properties).
Funding for the agreement was presented as approximately $118,400 from reserve funds, $53,200 from anticipated revenue, and a $900 appropriation. Officials walked through a simplified example showing how a uniform increase in valuations across all properties can leave total town tax revenue unchanged because the mill rate would be lowered; they also explained how uneven increases can shift tax burdens among property owners and why periodic revaluations can be fairer than repeated compounding factors.
Officials advised residents that assessor representatives will be visiting properties, will carry badges, and may request interior access to reach a more accurate valuation; homeowners were told they do not have to allow entry but doing so can help ensure a correct assessment. The board answered questions about whether proximity to the proposed quarry would affect valuations and noted that historical examples (such as airport noise impacts) have been handled previously with abatement formulas.
No formal vote on the contract was recorded during the discussion; the presentation and Q&A were intended to inform town meeting voters and to clarify how a revaluation could affect households differently depending on relative changes in value.
