New Norfolk property assessments were put in the mail Thursday and residents may be in for a surprise when they receive them.
Assessor Rae Ann Walcott said it has been six years since the last revaluation “and the market has really changed.” Although she said she has not run Norfolk’s percentages yet, neighboring towns that completed revaluations last year saw property values rise by as much as 40 percent.
Walcott noted that the assessments that landowners will receive are based on 70 percent of the retail market for similar properties. She also stressed that the assessments do not predict the tax rate.
“When the Grand List is signed, my half of the job is done,” she explained. “The Board of Finance decides how much money the town needs to operate and sets the mill rate. I can’t predict taxes.”
She cautioned property owners against trying to determine how much their taxes will increase by using the current mill rate. The rule of thumb is that if valuations go up, the mill rate goes down.
For those concerned about their new valuations, there is a process in place. Their first stop is with E-Quality Valuation Services, LLC, the company the town hired to assist with revaluations and do property inspections for the October 1, 2024, Grand List. The landowner should be able to provide documentation as to why they feel their assessment is inaccurate.
They can also contact Walcott at the assessor’s office Tuesday, November 12, and Wednesday, November 13, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., or Friday, November 15, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; call 860-542-5287, or email assessor@norfolkct.org.Assessors/Reval.
If neither of those avenues proves fruitful, residents can appeal their valuation to the Assessment Board of Appeals, which will hold meetings to consider grievances and incorrect data next March.
“Everything they need to know is included in the letter we sent out,” said Walcott.