BOARD OF ASSESSORS – 2003

 

 

 

The Board of Assessors meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm at Dunbarton Town Office Building.  All meetings are open to the public, however, it is recommended that appointments be made in advance.  Anyone wishing to meet with the board by appointment should call the Dunbarton Town Office during normal working hours.

 

Throughout the year, the Board met with a number of property owners to review property assessments as well as timber tax, current use and gravel tax issues.  There were very few appeals received this year and all were resolved within the office.  There were no cases heard before the N. H. Board of Taxation and Land Appeals (BTLA) in the year 2003.  Dunbarton’s net assessed valuation if $158,467,750 with the utilities accounting for $13,889,200.

 

During the year, the Board and our appraiser, Compton French, attended courses on assessing.  These courses are offered each year by the State and are a necessary tool for the board members to keep up with all the latest laws of assessing.  The Board also had a special workshop with Mr. Don Philbrick who is on the Current Use Advisory Board to become more up to date with the requirements of assessing current use penalties.

 

Anyone who might be eligible for a Veteran’s credit must file an application with the assessors.  Each application must be accompanied by a copy of a DD214.  To be eligible one must have served in a foreign war or conflict between the dates specified under RSA 72:28 and be a resident of Dunbarton for at least one year.  A $100.00 credit is applied to ones tax bill annually if the application is accepted.  If a person is totally disabled, a $1400 credit is available.

 

Anyone over the age of 65 may apply for an elderly exemption.  The guidelines for eligibility are as follows:

·        Must be a resident of Dunbarton for at least 12 months.

·        Income if single $20,000, married $30,000 (includes Social Security Benefits)

·        Assets not to exceed $45,000 (does not include residence)

 

Exemptions are as follows:  *

·        65-74 years of age $45,000

·        75-79 years of age $50,000

·        80 years or older $100,000

*  Residential property assessment is reduced by this amount.

Applications are available at the Town Office

 

Anyone wishing to appeal their property taxes must make application before March 1st following their final tax bill.  Hearings on all appeals received will take place before the Board of Assessors.  If the applicants are not completely satisfied at the hearing, they have the option to appeal to the BTLA no sooner than July 1st, no later than September 1st.

 

The Board of Assessors is recommending that the Town conduct a revaluation no later than the year 2005.  Our last revaluation was in 1997.  Currently properties are selling for much more than they are assessed for.  Our yearly sales reports are showing a steady increase year after year.  This is reviewed by the State Department of Revenue Administration every year and they give the town their equalization ratio based on sales.  The ratio for the year 2001 was 82% and 68.8% for the year 2002.  The ratio for the year 2003 has not been received to date but is expected to drop more.  When a towns ratio is off 10%, high or low, the State can mandate that a town conduct a revaluation.  Also, when the equalization ratio is low, the towns revenues from utilities and current use properties will also be low.  They are linked together - the utilities by contractual agreements and the current use properties by law.

 

The Board is asking for the town to support its second warrant article request for monies to be put into a capital reserve fund for the 2005 revaluation. 

 

The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Linda Peters, recording secretary, who resigned this past October for personal reasons.  We wish to thank Janice VandeBogart for taking over as recording secretary.  As always our thanks to Compton French and the Building Department for their assistance throughout the year.

 

A special thanks from the Chairman to the two other Board members, Bryan Clark and John Swindlehurst for their time and effort throughout the year and making the board a well run and knowledgeable organization.

 

                                                                        Respectfully submitted,

 

 

                                                                        Timothy Terragni, Chairman

                                                                        Bryan Clark

                                                                        John  R. Swindlehurst, II

 

                                                                        Dunbarton Board of Assessors