Town-Wide Reappraisal

Brattleboro's last reappraisal was in 2010. Property values have changed a great deal since then. As a result, the State of Vermont Tax Department has found the property assessments to be inequitable. Some property owners may be paying more than their share of the property tax, others may be paying less. The reappraisal is being conducted to address these inequities and ensure that each property owner pays only their fair share.

The reappraisal will be conducted by New England Municipal Consultants.

A reappraisal does not increase or decrease tax revenue. It only distributes the total tax burden more fairly. As property values go up overall, the tax rate goes down proportional to the increase in the grand list. The grand list is the official list of all properties in town.

A reappraisal is revenue-neutral, although it will cause tax burden shifts among properties. Some owners will see increases while others will see decreases, and others will remain approximately the same. This is before any municipal or education budgetary changes are considered.

The market value of your property will be determined with property data collection. Recent sales will be analyzed of similar properties. Construction costs and income and expense information will be considered where appropriate.

There are several long explanations of market value. But, simply put, it is the most probable price a willing buyer would pay a willing seller for a property on the open market if neither party were under pressure to buy or sell.

You should ask yourself: could I, or would I, sell my property for the amount listed as my new assessment?