Notices for Middletown’s proposed property assessments are in the mail.
Tax Assessor George Durgin said property owners should receive their formal paperwork from the town as part of Revaluation 2024 by the end of the week. The latest information is also available at https://mdl.town/Vision.
If anyone has a question about their assessment, Durgin encouraged people to call Vision Government Solutions at (888) 844-4300 or visit online. Vision Government Solutions (VGSI) is the Northborough, Massachusetts consulting firm hired to assist with the current revaluation process.
Repeating a frequent refrain, Durgin reminded everyone to remember not to use the town’s current tax rate to calculate their new tax bill. That won’t be possible until a new tax rate is established — likely in late May.
“The revised property assessments are one factor in the overall formula that’s used to determine taxes,” Durgin said. “After everything is determined and the new tax rate is set, everything will balance out. Like we’ve said before, you can’t take our current Fiscal 2024 tax rate and use it to determine your new tax bill. That’s like comparing apples and oranges.”
Based on the current schedule, the town’s budget for Fiscal 2025 is expected to be set by the Town Council on May 29. From there, it will be up to Durgin and his team to determine the tax rate, a process that usually happens well before the start of summer.
Early returns show residential and commercial property values are expected to be up big across the board.
Following a trend seen across Aquidneck Island — and most parts of the country — preliminary totals showed assessments were on the rise.
Durgin’s figures showed all residential properties in Middletown were projected to increase close to 43 percent. That’s compared to around 50 percent for nonresident properties and about 45 percent for commercial properties.
“What we’re seeing is certainly what’s happening elsewhere,” Durgin said. “Property values are up here like they are almost everywhere, so what’s happening here with our revaluation was anticipated and expected.”
Under state law, town-wide revaluations must take place every three years. The idea is the tax burden be shared as equitably as possible across all owners using the latest property values as a baseline.
The law mandates a full revaluation be carried out once every nine years. Statistical updates are done in the third and sixth year after a full revaluation.
The last full revaluation in Middletown was completed in Dec. 31, 2017. The current revaluation is the second statistical update. The next full revaluation will be as of Dec. 31, 2026 for the 2027 tax year.
Town staff and consultants with Vision Appraisal have assigned new assessment values of properties across town as part of Revaluation 2024, work that wrapped up late last year.
After they’ve received their notices, property owners have a chance to schedule informal appeals of their assessments in March and April if they do not agree with the findings.
The last date for people to set an appeal of their assessment is March 13.
The Town Council is expected to okay an overall budget for Fiscal 2025 in late May. The tax roll will be certified and the tax rates set soon after. Quarterly tax bills are planned a short time in late July or August. For more information, visit https://mdl.town/Reval.
Those who still disagree with their assessment after going through the informal appeal process continue to have recourse.
As part of the formal appeal process, objections can be submitted to Durgin between Sept. 10-Dec. 10, 2024.
If a taxpayer isn’t satisfied with Durgin’s findings from this process, they can submit a challenge to the Middletown Board of Assessment Review. If that doesn’t meet the taxpayer’s satisfaction, an appeal can be filed with Rhode Island Superior Court.
Durgin said expressed thanks to his staff and other town staff along with Vision Appraisal for their hard work to make sure everything was applied fairly and accurately as possible.
“A lot of work goes into this process, more work than anyone realizes and I personally appreciate everyone’s efforts here,” Durgin said. “The snapshot is that based on our preliminary numbers, our values are strong and demand is strong here in Middletown, a message that really shouldn’t surprise anyone.”
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