NEWPORT CITY - A bill transferring the responsibility to conduct property appraisals from municipalities to the Department of Taxes has gained momentum. H.480 passed to the Senate during crossover and is assigned to the Committee on Government Operations.
In the preamble of the bill, legislators justified the transition by citing data. The grand lists of over 50 percent of municipalities have not been reappraised since 2014; 107 municipalities haven't undergone a reappraisal in 10 years. The national standard is to reappraise property every six years.
Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) initially suggested the towns be placed on a regular reappraisal schedule. This would eliminate the random nature of the Common Level of Appraisal (CLA) which triggers automatic reappraisals. H.480 goes much further than that.
For the rest of the story see Wednesday's Express.