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Assessor outlines mass-appraisal methods, data windows and limits for waterfront properties
Summary
Assessing staff described use of a 500+ page manual, Marshall Swift inputs, and economic 'neighborhood' modeling; residential data covered Jan. 1, 2024–Apr. 1, 2025, and waterfront modeling extended to Apr. 1, 2023 due to sparse sales.
Assessing Director Dan Robinson briefed the board on mass-appraisal methodology at the March 5 meeting, explaining that construction costs are derived from Marshall Swift, local builder input, and market extrapolation, documented in a 500-plus-page manual. He emphasized the focus on total final value rather than the internal mechanics of appraisal software and told members that "neighborhoods" in mass appraisal "are economic neighborhoods, not geographic ones."
Robinson said residential data collection covered Jan. 1, 2024 through Apr. 1, 2025, while residential waterfront data were extended back to Apr. 1, 2023 because of limited sales volume; for some ocean-front properties there may be as few as three comparables. Staff noted that when sales evidence is insufficient they may rely on equity assessment to meet legal requirements. The assessor also discussed statistical measures used to evaluate assessment equity, citing a Coefficient of Dispersion (COD) example of 16.6.
