The Town of Wilmington, January 1, 2010, received notice that the State of Vermont Department of Property Evaluation and Review had accepted our townwide appraisal for April 1, 2009.
In 2004, the state required that we do a full town wide appraisal. The appraisal was supposed to be completed in 2008. However, we delayed one year as we felt that the market was starting to decline.
The state allowed us only one additional year to complete our appraisal. The economic crash, in the fall of 2008, had an impact on property values, although not as much as other parts of the country. All of the early work, during 2005 to 2008, on the appraisal had to be adjusted downward to reflect the new market conditions. Also, we had to meet a complicated series of deadlines to be able to get tax bills to property owners on the date voted at Town Meeting.
Your board of listers, with Green Mountain Appraisal and Everett Appraisers, had to scramble to meet all of the state-mandated deadlines. We had to complete our listers grievances and file a new grand list prior to July 11, so that the town would have sufficient time to print and send tax bills.
We are relieved that the state has accepted our appraisal based on their analysis they agreed that our grand list is at 100% of fair market value, which is required. We appreciate your concern that the evaluations of your property may be too high in some cases. However, market conditions have verified that the town’s evaluations are basically correct.
We hope for the town’s sake and ours-that we will not have to do a full townwide reappraisal, ever!
Jerry Osler
Wilmington
Chairman Board of Listers
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