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Assessor: Concord's grand list down as state utility valuations strip $1.6M
Summary
The town assessor reported a small overall net change on the grand list but said state-reported depreciation in utility accounts produced a loss of "over $1,600,000," a development that could raise Concord's municipal tax rate unless offset by future valuation changes.
The town assessor told the Select Board that Concord's grand list shows a modest negative change compared with last year but a sharp loss in utility valuations reported by the state. "We lost, over $1,600,000 through utility accounts," the assessor said, explaining that utilities depreciate equipment annually and the state's method weighted value toward larger ratepayer bases.
He described the mechanics behind the change and the limits on local options: the state supplies utility account values and that spreadsheet determines what the town administers. The assessor said the town can raise concerns with the district adviser and the state appraiser and that newly completed utility upgrades could be recognized in next year's reporting, but the current numbers will influence the municipal tax-rate calculation.
Board members asked whether recent transmission upgrades would be reflected and how quickly the state would revise its valuations. The assessor said improvements should be recognized once the state updates next year's grand list but warned that appealing or departing from the state's figures can create equalization risks. "If you go outside of the box on that, 1st of all, you're on your own to defend it," he said.
The presentation framed the loss as a structural issue affecting small communities: the assessor said smaller towns can be penalized by the state's allocation method because they have fewer ratepayers to share utility value. The board did not take immediate formal action but directed staff to follow up with the state and monitor whether upgrades to local utility infrastructure change next year's valuation.
