Westbrook taxpayers will get a clearer picture of what their new property tax bills will be when the city sends out notices of new property values next week.
In a May 15 letter to Westbrook taxpayers, Mayor Bruce Chuluda said the citywide property revaluation has been completed, and taxpayers should expect to receive a notice of their revised property value sometime around May 30.
Once taxpayers receive the initial notice of their new property value, Chuluda said they can request an informal hearing with the revaluation company to review the revaluation and go over any questions and concerns about the new property value. Following those meetings, final notices of value will be mailed to taxpayers around June 28.
Any taxpayer who still disagrees with their new property value will have the opportunity to file an appeal with city’s tax assessor and if the results of that appeal are unsatisfactory, taxpayers can appeal the new value to the Board of Assessment, a committee made up of Westbrook residents. Chuluda said after those appeals are exhausted, taxpayers also have the right to appeal their new property values in Superior Court.
Once the new property values have been established, the tax assessor will then set the city’s new tax rate. “As a result of the new values, the tax rate will be substantially lower than the current rate of $23.87,” said Chuluda, adding that property tax bills will be based on the new, lower tax rate and the higher assessed property values.
Taxpayers with any questions about the revaluation should call the city tax assessor’s office at 854-0638 or the mayor’s office at 591-8110.
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