BY ADAM ATKINSONNorth Country This Week

POTSDAM -- The town is nearing completion on its tax assessment revaluation project, and new assessments could be ready for residents by early spring.

An information meeting planned with representatives from the firm GAR Associates LLC of Williamsville regarding the town’s tax assessment revaluation project on Feb. 10 at 5:30 p.m., at the Town Hall 18 Elm St. For reservations, call 1 (866) 910-1776.

The town contracted with GAR early in 2024 to conduct a town-wide reassessment of taxable properties, the first such revaluation since 2013. The municipality budgeted $200,000 for the work, but the final cost could be higher, town officials have said. GAR is the same firm which handled the city of Ogdensburg's recent reassessment.

Town Tax Assessor Danielle Mitchell said the preliminary results of GAR's revaluations are nearing completion.

"My office is in the last stages of finalizing the preliminary 2025 assessments with GAR. A disclosure notice will be mailed out to each property owner March 1st stating their new assessed value and with an accompanying letter outlining the informal review process with GAR if they believe their new value is inaccurate," Mitchell said.

Mitchell said after the disclosure notices are received by property owners, there will be an informal review period and then the final roll will be filed May 1. A formal grievance day with the town's board of assessment review will follow that, Mitchell told North Country This Week.

"The Final Assessment Roll, which tax bills are based on, is filed July 1st. The first bill that will reflect the new assed values will be school bills in September 2025," Mitchell said.

The assessor said her office received feedback from the public when inventory data mailers were sent to property owner's last October. The mailers gave property owners a change to look over the building and property information on file with her office.

"Property owners were engaged in the processes and we received valuable information specific to the property inventory," Mitchell said.

The upcoming information meeting on Feb. 10 is an opportunity for the public to learn more about the revaluation process, and ask questions about the reassessment, Mitchell said.

"The information meeting is intended to educate the property owners on reassessment. Why it is important, how it is done, and how the informal review process works. There will be time for public Q&A after a short presentation from GAR," said Mitchell.

Mitchell pointed out that the new property values will not be finalized till later this year.

"While property owners are notified of their preliminary assessments on March 1st, the assessed values and the assessment roll are not final until July 1st. This project does not generate any new revenue for the Town and the tax levies are established by the various taxing jurisdictions (County, Town, School). The new assessed values will redistribute each property owner's slice of the pie (tax levy) they are responsible for, based on the fair market value of their property," the assessor told North Country This Week.

Mitchell said the reassessment will leave a more equitable tax situation across the board for town property owners.

"This reassessment project was put in place prior to me being the full-time assessor. While it will be nice for me to have a clean slate, maintaining fair and equitable assessments is important to any assessment office and is in the best interest of the taxpayers," Mitchell said. "It ensures each property owner is paying their fair share. Currently, there are some inequities in the assessment roll which translate into tax liability inequities among property owners. By bringing everyone to a level playing field and at 100% full market value it increases property owners' understanding of assessment and equity in the overall tax roll."

The assessor encourages property owners and members of the public to turn out for the informational meeting on the 10th.

"Knowledge is power. Educate yourself on the process so you know what to expect and how to proceed through the informal review process - if needed. We want to spread the information to quell any fears or misconceptions about the project and the process," Mitchell said.

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