BRUNSWICK

Notices informing residents of revaluation results will be sent out by the end of the week, extending the tax due date to mid-November to allow homeowners time to review the appraisals and pursue adjustments.

“It’s been 17 years since the last revaluation, so expect some changes,” Town Manager John Eldridge said at Monday’s council meeting. “Some changes will be larger in both directions than some would like to see, but that’s the nature of the revaluation process.”

The revaluation process began in March 2016 following the council’s 2015 passage of an ordinance authorizing the funding and completion of the reappraisal and revaluation of all taxable and all tax-exempt property in Brunswick.

At that time, Town Assessor Catherine Jamison said according to state law, Brunswick was five years behind in conducting a new assessment and citing that the reassessment process simply brings “fairness” back into the process of lagging assessment accuracy.

The point of the revaluation is to bring properties to fair market value, the town manager said. It involves the reappraisal of all real estate in the town in order to bring about uniformity in property valuations. A revaluation does not increase the town’s revenue, Eldridge said. Rather, towns vote to pay for a revaluation because of a need to equalize values so no taxpayers pay more or less than their fair share of the tax burden.

The town hired KRT Appraisals to review real estate in town, and in July a list was sent to the town’s assessing department to be reviewed. The contract totaled $400,000, according to Eldridge.

When asked whether there are specific areas that will see a significant change as a result of the revaluation, Jamison said although she has not done a specific analysis, as a rule, waterfront property taxes increase at a faster rate than other properties.

“Some will see increases, some will see decreases and some will see no change,” Jamison said Tuesday.

If residents want to appeal the appraisal, they must schedule an appointment with the assessor and bring supporting documents, such as a recent appraisal, a bank loan, or a review of comparable properties. For example, if somebody owns a three-bedroom cape, they should look at similar homes in their neighborhood to compare values.

Councilor Jane Millett, a real estate agent, said residents should make sure the information listed is correct, such as the number of bathrooms, bedrooms and acreage.

Jamison said assessment cards will be available online, along with information that explains the revaluation process. Terminals at the town office will also be set up that contain revaluation information for those who prefer to review paper copies. Residents can also request cards be sent to them in the mail if they do not have access to a computer.

Residents will have five weeks to make appointments with KRT assessors to discuss changes, as well as the town’s assessing department. Taxes will be due Nov. 15, and the springtime due date will not be affected by the extended fall deadline, Eldridge said.

jlaaka@timesrecord.com.