Tax bills impacted by ‘incomplete’ process, residents upset

By Dave Fidlin

CORRESPONDENT

Village of Waterford President Tom Roanhouse minced no words Monday.

“You’ve bungled this so bad that no body trusts us. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

This strong statement from Roanhouse was a sampling of some of the sentiments the Waterford Village Board shared with outside consultant Mark Brown during a heated exchange April 11 as the oft-discussed appraisal and villagewide re-evaluation entered its latest storied chapter.

Brown, the owner of Appleton-based Associated Appraisal, came before the board and provided an update on interior inspections to properties throughout the community. He also addressed a litany of concerns during an exchange that exceeded an hour in length.

During last year’s communitywide re-evaluation, Brown and other staffers within Associated inspected all exteriors on properties.

But company representatives inspected just 56 percent of properties’ interiors — a figure the board adamantly states is well below what was promised in the pitch.

While Associated staffers have free rein to conduct exterior inspections, the process of inspecting a dwelling’s interior is more labor intensive and requires a property owner’s permission.

Brown, in previous meetings with the board, has conceded the interior inspection process was rushed, and he pledged to renew efforts to increase interior inspection counts this spring.

But Brown’s revelation this week that the company has inspected the interiors of an additional 10 percent of  properties, bringing the total from 56 percent last fall to 66 percent, renewed criticism from elected officials.

In addition to expressing continued dismay with the number of interior inspections, board members asserted Associated staffers cut corners last fall and asserted those perceived shortcomings led to inaccurate tax bills late in 2015.

Trustee Jim Schneider, who ran for his first full term in office this spring, said the tension in the village is palpable because of the community’s perception of how the entire re-evaluation process has been handled.

“This has been the thing that has been sticking in everybody’s craw,” Schneider said. “It still is. I heard it when I was knocking on doors.”

Prior to the re-evaluation, the village had a relationship with Associated for assessment services, though last year was the first time it used Brown’s company to conduct a complete re-evaluation.

The extensive project carried an $80,000 price tag.

“Our goal was to level the playing field (among properties throughout the community),” Trustee Jerry Filut said. “I don’t believe we’ve achieved that.”

Brown, in a counter-argument, said he believes Filut and other board members’ objectives have been met.

“We do have a fair system in place today in this village,” Brown said. “We corrected so many inequities that had existed over the years.”

Brown said Associated’s services extended beyond the exterior and interior inspections. His company also digitized all records and created a forecasting model that takes such factors as market conditions into account for future assessments.

Monday’s discussion frequently veered to last year’s tax bills. Roanhouse said he heard from scores of residents who were distraught by the sizable increase in their bills.

“I can’t control when tax bills change,” Brown said, in response. “All I can control is the assessments.”

Trustee Tammy Pollnow said she viewed Associated’s information as incomplete, which did impact tax bills.

“Those tax bills never should’ve gone out with the data you had (last fall),” Pollnow said. “That’s where the real problem has been.”

The board and Brown wrangled back and forth this week on the terms of the original contract. Elected officials allege Brown has not upheld his end of the bargain, but he said he has.

The board met behind closed doors with Village Attorney Marcy Hasenstab to discuss their options in imposing a 10-percent penalty clause on Associated for the original $80,000 contract. No action was taken after coming out of closed session.