REVALUATIONS #54 On a motion by Councilor Waldron, seconded by Councilor Carbone, the council considered enacting, pursuant to Public Act 09-60, AN ACT CONCERNING A MUNICIPAL OPTION TO DELAY REVALUATIONS, not to effect a revaluation prior to the 2011 assessment year, tabled on January 19, 2010.
Councilor Waldron stated that in this tight budget year, with union wage increases due, throwing this revaluation out would be $790,000 wasted, and the same amount must be spent to do this revaluation again. After reading the report, Councilor Waldron said he thinks any litigation against the company will not hold up since the Office of Policy and Management did not find them totally at fault. He said OPM found Total Valuation's standards to be sub-standard, so there are problems with it but he can’t see spending ~the same amount to re-do the revaluation. Councilor Waldron said the Assessor has gone on record saying she is in favor of this revaluation, found there are a few problems, and we have inconsistencies in our present Grand List that we have to correct this year too. He asked, if this revaluation were adopted,
can appeals be continued to try and make it right for those people whose assessment is way out of line and might have a legitimate complaint.
Assessor Patchen said that since updates continued even while the Board of Assessment Appeals was meeting, residents' assessment may have decreased and their error already be taken care of. She said she intends to do a mailing to all residents to inform them of their assessment. If residents did not appeal their new assessment last year, Mrs. Patchen said, they will have the opportunity to appeal it this year.
Councilor Soliani said there is a process in place where residents are still able to appeal their assessment.
Assessor Patchen said if a resident appealed in April of 2009, they will not be able to appeal through the Board of Assessment Appeals again this year. The ones who did not go to the Board will have an opportunity to be heard this spring.
Councilor Dalla Valle said he wants to go on record~that he is not willing to gamble $790,000 taxpayers’ money, knowing there’s an opportunity for them to appeal.
Councilor Samele clarified that there is not an opportunity to re-appeal for those who have already appealed in the spring. Assessor Patchen said errors can always be corrected in her office when they are found. Mayor Bingham said he will issue a press release to educate the public on what they can expect. The Mayor clarified that a vote in favor of the motion on the table will enact the law to throw away the revaluation just completed and go out to bid again to do a revaluation for 2011; A vote against will implement the revaluation we have done.
IMPLEMENT REVALUATION #383 The vote was unanimously against enacting, pursuant to Public Act 09-60, AN ACT CONCERNING A MUNICIPAL OPTION TO DELAY REVALUATIONS, not to effect a revaluation prior to the 2011 assessment year.
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