FREEPORT

The town assessor’s office has started to revise the values of Freeport’s almost 5,000 properties to update the town’s valuation model.

The work is projected to be completed by early September for the fall 2014 tax billing cycle. Property tax bills are payable in two parts: The first half is due by Nov. 15 and the second half is due by May 15.

Freeport Town Assessor Robert Konczal said the revaluation is not expected to result in any significant changes for most property owners.

“The amount of taxes that people pay is predominantly dependent on how much money the town council votes to spend and how much the (Regional School Unit) approves for spending, which is the majority of money spent by taxpayers in any town,” Konczal said.

A major shift in assessed value is unlikely, unless a property had historically been “significantly overassessed or significantly under-assessed,” Konczal said. “If we catch some few properties where we’ve made a mistake and correct those in one direction or another, they’ll see their taxes change. For most people it shouldn’t be a significant amount, unless spending goes up a lot.

“As long as we have to raise the same amount of money every year, the value of your home determines what portion you or I are contributing to that whole pot,” he said.

In Freeport, the total budget is expected to amount to approximately $25 million, and the town’s value is estimated near $1.4 billion, Konczal said.

Towns are required by state law to periodically update values to match current market trends, the exact period of time between revaluations is determined by each town’s assessor.

Frequent revaluations avoid sudden, large jumps in tax bills and expenses, Konczal said. Freeport property values were most recently revised in 2010, and were also revised previously in four-year cycles in 2006 and 2002.

The assessor’s office will be making field visits to properties in Freeport and reviewing records of recent sales.

According to the Maine Revenue Services website, assessors are to visit every property within a town and record the property’s acreage and the building’s “age, dimensions and quality of construction.”

This creates an inventory base to establish an equitable tax, or mill, rate by dividing the town council’s approved appropriations by the town’s taxable value. Currently, Freeport’s mill rate is $15.85 per thousand dollars of assessed value.

The state weighted average mill rate in 2011 was $13.40 per thousand, the average for Cumberland county was $14.58, and Freeport’s mill rate was $14.43, according a Maine Revenue Services report.

Property owners are not required to allow assessors entry to their property, though this may affect information regarding interior improvements or deterioration.

“With the field visit we’re mostly going around to make sure our photograph is current and if there are any obvious discrepancies between what we see and what we have in our records,” Konczal said.

“We want to get the number right, and there are some unique properties, but not as many as you might think,” he said. “For every property that’s out there, there are probably 10 or 20 that are very similar.”

Residents who wish to provide information to the assessor’s office may do so by emailing the office at [email protected].

Valuations may be appealed if a property owner believes that their property was over- or undervalued. An abatement, or reduction in taxable valuation, may be granted if an error in assessment is discovered.

“There is a legal appeal process. From the date we commit taxes in late September, people have 185 days to contact me and have a discussion with me,” Konczal said. “We’re happy to talk to people. I find most people are reasonable folk who just want to see that the job is done right and fairly, and that’s what I want, too.”

For more information, visit the town’s website at www.freeportmaine.com or contact the town assessor’s office at 865-4743, extension 105.

rgargiulo@timesrecord.com

CURRENT TAX YEAR:
Tax Rate: $15.85 per thousand dollars of valuation
Due Dates: Nov. 18, May 15
Interest Rate: 7 percent
Fiscal Year: July 1-June 30

SOURCE: WWW.FREEPORTMAINE.COM

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