Frequently Asked Questions

A revaluation is a program undertaken by the County Assessor’s Office to appraise all real property within the taxing district according to its full and fair value.

Full and fair value is the price at which the tax assessor believes a property would sell at a fair and bona fide sale by a private contract on October 1 of the pretax year. The sale must be between a willing buyer and a willing seller. For example, the buyer is not obligated to buy, and the seller is not obligated to sell.

A revaluation program seeks to spread the tax burden equitably within a municipality. Real property must be assessed at the same standard of value to ensure that every property owner is paying his or her fair share of the property tax. For example, two properties having essentially the same market value should be paying essentially the same amount in property taxes. Inequitable assessments result from the following situations:

• Changes in characteristics in areas or neighborhoods within the municipality and within individual properties
• Changes in style and design (desirability of architecture, size of the house)
• Changes in zoning which can either enhance or adversely affect the value
• Delays in processing building permits which delay tax assessments on new construction
• Fluctuations in the economy (inflation, recession)