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Lister warns state appeals and assessment districts could reduce local control
Summary
Lister Doug Mosle told the Fayston Selectboard the State's approach to appeals and potential assessment districts could erode local control of property valuations, citing utility property grievances this year.
At the June 1 special meeting, Lister Doug Mosle warned the Selectboard that state processes could centralize property appraisal authority and reduce local control, particularly for utility properties.
Mosle said the State’s advice has been to deny appeals locally "until it gets to a state level," which he said could take three years and allow state appraisers to defend valuations that remove local discretion. He described the risk as especially acute for utility property grievances being considered that year.
Board members acknowledged the concern but treated it as a broader assessment policy issue rather than one immediately resolvable at the special meeting; the immediate agenda focused on appointing a third lister so the town has quorum to handle grievances. Chair Chuck Martel apologized to Mosle for the scheduling confusion that contributed to the need for a special meeting.
