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Resident urges council to address sharp rise in property assessments; city manager explains assessment process and upcoming budget outreach
Summary
At public comment Brenda Marks said her house assessment rose $25,000 and cited aggregate assessment growth; City Manager Mary Bunting explained the certified-assessor process, appeal options and announced citizen budget input sessions and manager's recommended budget and adoption timeline.
During public comment Brenda Marks criticized council attendance at a community meeting and raised alarm about property assessments, saying her assessment increased by $25,000 in one year and citing a 43% increase in aggregate assessments from 2020–2024 and a 7.7% rise this year for a 50.7% total increase over four years. Marks urged council attention to the effect on homeowners and expressed frustration about tax impacts.
City Manager Mary Bunting responded with an overview of the assessment process, explaining state law requires cities to assess property close to market value, that certified assessors use comparable sales and that residents may appeal assessments to a citizen review board. Bunting also outlined the budget engagement timeline: in-person citizen input sessions scheduled March 18 (6:30 p.m. at the Hampton AquaPlex) and March 22 (9 a.m. at the American Theater), an online polling period March 18–25, a manager’s recommended budget release April 25 and a council adoption deadline by May 15.
