Town of Branford Connecticut

2024 Revaluation Project

The Town of Branford is undergoing a town wide revaluation to equalize property values, effective October 1, 2024.

 

This website has been developed to provide Branford property owners with an understanding of revaluation and supply answers to frequently asked questions.

 

The assessors office would like to thank all Branford property owners for their cooperation throughout this important project.

What is a “Revaluation”?

The revaluation program involves the reappraisal of all real property in the Town in order to bring about uniformity in property valuations and to assure all property owners that they are paying only their fair share of the cost of community services. Revaluation is considered “Revenue Neutral” and is NOT intended to raise revenues.  Its purpose is to value all properties by the same standards at the same point in time.

What is the Purpose of the Revaluation?

It has now been five years since the last revaluation of all real estate in the Town of Branford. Meanwhile constantly changing economic conditions have caused inequities to develop.  The solution to this problem is to reappraise all real estate bringing assessment records up to date with present day values.

Why is Branford Conducting a Revaluation?

To Deliver Accurate, Fair, and Equitable Assessments According to the Industry Standards of Appraisal Practice.

The IAAO (International Association of Assessing Officers) recommends that properties should be revalued at least every four to six years to account for changes in property values, and to maintain uniform and equitable assessments.

To Adhere to Requirements by Connecticut's Property Assessment Mandates

The state of Connecticut, under C.G.S. §12-62, requires a revaluation of all real estate every five years. State law mandates that the Town of Branford commence the five year cycle for the October 1, 2024 Grand List. This law was enacted by the 2004 Connecticut General Assembly. The last revaluation in Branford was performed in 2019. 

A revaluation is performed to assure that all property owners will pay ONLY their FAIR SHARE of the property tax burden.

To Bring Branford's Property Assessments in Line With Market Value.

Just the normal “hills and valleys” which occur in any community over a period of time. Neighborhoods change, and the economic climate changes, meaning that properties may have become overvalued or undervalued when compared to comparable market properties. The revaluation returns properties to current market values and to their equitable share.

Who is Conducting the Revaluation?

Vision Government Solutions, Inc. has been contracted by the Town of Branford to conduct the 2024 revaluation. Vison is responsible for updating the Assessment Office’s computer software, collecting specified property data in the field, providing a public relations program, developing new Fair Market Values, applying Public Act 490 agricultural values, conducting the informal reviews, and providing assistance to the town with formal appeals.

How is a Revaluation Done?

Read the following graphic to understand what steps make up the reassessment process.

Click Here to download this document.

What Should I Expect When a Data Collector Visits?

All data collectors will wear Vision vests, and data collectors will always knock on the door of the primary residence.

If an individual approaches you as a data collector, but cannot produce proper credentials, you should not permit him/her onto your property; the police and Assessor’s Office should be notified immediately.

Data collectors are trained to gather data in a prescribed format.

There are two types of revaluations in Connecticut. A full revaluation includes home inspections of all properties and a statistical update requires inspection of recent sale properties only. The revaluation types alternate each five year revaluation cylce. The last full revaluation in Branford occured in 2019 and therefore the 2024 revaluation is a statiscal update requiring only recent sale properties be inspected.

During the sale property inspection, property characteristics will be verified, photographs will be taken and information will be recorded on a property record card. This information will be utilized during the valuation phase of the project. Data collectors collect data and do not set the property value.

Some of the property characteristics for residential properties that the data collector will note are:

• Building size, type, age, renovations
• Number of stories, property type
• Siding, heating, air conditioning
• Outbuilding descriptions
• Extraneous economic influences such as landfills, junkyards, and sewage treatment plants

For commercial and industrial buildings, data collectors will also ask what rents are being paid, if applicable.

This information is needed to develop overall typical rent patterns for income-producing properties and will be used when valuing commercial and industrial properties by the Income Approach. All rental information is kept confidential and is not made part of the public record.

When Vision data collectors begin visiting various areas and properties throughout the town, area newspapers, local officials, and law enforcement officials will be notified.

How Can I be Sure the Data on Record for my Property is Accurate if it isn’t a Recent Sale?

Data Verification Mailers will be mailed to all residential properties in order to gain input from property owners. Property owners can make corrections on the form and return it to Vision Government Solutions. Members of the Vision team will review the returned form and either make the changes, call the property owner for clarification or make an appointment for inspection.

Additionally, in November 2024 when new value notices are mailed to all property owners, a website address will be provided allowing inquiry access to the assessors on-line database. Property owners can verify their data as well as compare their properties value to other similar homes.

See a Sample Data Mailer.

When Will I Know the Results of My New Assessment?

Property owners will receive a new value notice by early December 2024. The notice will include both your prior and new assessed value. Property owners will also be provided instructions on how to set-up an appointment for an informal review with a member of the Vision appraisal team. Property owners who attend an informal review will receive a second assessment value notice in January 2025 detailing whether a change was made as a result of the informal review. Instructions for further appeal will be provided on this notice and the assessors website.

If My Assessed Value Goes Up, Won't My Taxes Go Up Too?

Residential home prices have increased significantly in Branford since the last revaluation back in 2019. This DOES NOT mean your taxes will increase simply because your assessment increased. With an increase to the Grand List overall, Branford’s governing body can reduce the mill rate, lessening any required tax increase. In other words, the mill rate would fall by a proportionate amount, assuming budgets pre and post revaluation were identical. Revaluations are therefore “Revenue Neutral” and not a means to raise taxes. The point being that a balanced budget is all that is required.  The valuation of your property is only one part of the equation necessary to determine your actual tax bill.  The other and equally important part of the equation is the amount of tax dollars that the RTM and Board of Finance determine is needed for meeting the budgeted expenses of the Town of Branford.

Until a total Grand List, including all new values, is completed and a new budget is adopted in the spring of 2025, no one can say what the mill rate or your tax bill will be.

One fact to consider, however, is that with the downward adjustment of the mill rate at revaluation, the tax bill on motor vehicles decreases. Remember, since the 2019 revaluation, the real estate assessments have been 70% of 2019 market value and have remained that way for the past five years until the 2024 revaluation. But this is not the case for motor vehicles. A motor vehicle is annually assessed at 70% of its current average retail value. If the mill rate is reduced, one would pay less in Branford on motor vehicle taxes.

COMMON MYTHS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT REVALUATIONS:

MYTH: A Town Wide Revaluation Means that My Taxes are Going to Increase.

NOT NECESSARILY. Many people mistakenly think that if their assessed value increases, then their tax bill will increase by the same proportion. This will not happen because the mill rate will be adjusted during the budget process in the spring of 2025. 

MYTH: The Town Wide Revaluation Will Provide New Revenue for the Town of Branford

NOT TRUE. Revaluation is NOT intended to raise revenues.  Its purpose is to value all properties by the same standards at the same point in time (October 1, 2024).

Project Timeline

Branford Connecticut

Jun 15 2023 – Branford issues a Request for Proposal to conduct a town-wide Revaluation.

Vision Government Solutions Selected to Conduct Townwide ReASSESSMENT

Jan 4th 2024 – Branford contracts with VGSI for the reappraisal and revaluation of all taxable and exempt real property.

Data Collection & Street Level Imagery

Feb 2024 – Oct 2024 – Vision Government Solutions staff will conduct property inspection services for all properties that have recently sold or have outstanding building permits.

Data Verification Mailers

Feb 2024 – Residential property owners are mailed a data verification report. Property owners review the data, make corrections if necessary and return to Vision Government Solutions.

Market Analysis

Mar 2024 – Nov 2024 – Gather and analyze Sales, Cost, and Income market value data.

Valuation

Apr 2024 – Nov 2024 – Develop valuation models for all property types to mirror Branford’s real estate market.

Valuation Field Review

Apr 2024 – Aug 2024 – Parcel by parcel field review by certified appraisal staff to ensure accurate data and consistent application of property values.

Preliminary Value Notices Mailed & Informal Reviews

Nov 2024 – Dec 2024 – Property owners are provided the opportunity to review their assessment with a member of the Vision appraisal team.

Official Change of Assessment Notices Mailed

Jan 2025 – Result of informal reviews are mailed to property owners who attended an informal review meeting. 

Project Completion

Jan 2025

Applications to the Board of Assessment Must Be filed

Feb 1, 2025 – Feb 20, 2025

Board of Assessment Appeal Hearings/Certification of Values

Mar 2025

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Vision?

A: Vision Government Solutions is a company which specializes in services and software designed to assist jurisdictions with assessing, billing and support of zoning and building department functions. We are typically hired by counties, municipalities, and jurisdictions to help them fulfill the State requirement to reassess all real property so that the assessments reflect current market value as of a certain date. Our work is largely regulated by State law which dictates when and how we reassess properties. We have been providing appraisal services and Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal Software (CAMA) to Assessing departments located throughout the United States since 1975. During this time, we have successfully completed over one thousand revaluation projects throughout the Northeastern United States. We bring a significant amount of professional expertise to a project. Our large appraisal staff is comprised of State certified professionals that have significant industry experience. Our Senior Appraisal personnel average over 20 years of Appraisal experience.

Why a Revaluation in 2024?

The State of Connecticut, under C.G.S §12-62, requires a revaluation of all real estate every five years.  State law mandates that the Town of Branford commence the five year  cycle for the October 1, 2024 Grand List. This law was enacted by the 2004 Connecticut General Assembly.

 There is a growing awareness that local property taxes have become a significant part of the expense of owning real property. Keeping this in mind, revaluations are required to assure property owners of uniformity in property valuations. A revaluation sets new assessed values on a current basis, for use by the Assessor.

 A successful revaluation requires a significant amount of time spent on careful research and the cooperation of the taxpayers to assure that the new values are accurate and that all property owners will pay ONLY their FAIR SHARE of the property tax burden.

What is Meant by “Revaluation?”

The revaluation program involves the reappraisal of all real property in the Town in order to bring about uniformity in property valuations and to assure all property owners that they are paying only their fair share of the cost of community services. Revaluation is NOT intended to raise revenues.  Its purpose is to value all properties by the same standards at the same point in time.

Why is Revaluation Needed?

It will have been five years since the last revaluation of all real estate in the Town of Branford. Meanwhile constantly changing economic conditions have caused inequities to develop.  The solution to this problem is to reappraise all real estate bringing assessment records up to date with present day values.

 

What Kind of Inequities Exist Now?

Just the normal “hills and valleys” which occur in any community over a period of time. Neighborhoods change, and the economic climate changes, meaning that properties may have become overvalued or undervalued when compared to comparable market properties. The revaluation returns properties to current market values and to their equitable share.

 

What is Fair Market Value?

A legal standard defined by the courts as the price established between a willing buyer and a willing seller, taking into consideration all the uses to which the property is adapted.

Who Determines The Value Of My Property?

People do. You, and the person who sold it to you, and the person who is willing to buy it from you, create the value. People make the market, not the Assessor. During a revaluation, it is the Assessor’s and the Assessor’s staff’s job to research and discover values through the thorough analysis of current sales data.

 A single property sale transaction, however, is not the  sole determination of your property value.  All valid sales in a given neighborhood are used as guidelines. In effect, a revaluation does the same thing that you would do as a prospective buyer, by examining all the features of a property before applying values.

 A few of the other factors to be considered are: local market conditions, size and quality of construction, age of building, improvements to or deterioration of neighborhood and zoning.

Isn’t Fair Market Value What I Paid For My Property?

Not always. Some people will pay more than fair market value for their property. Others may have bought their property at a bargain price, and others may have purchased the property years ago when prices and values were considerably different. The true test is what your property is worth on October 1, 2024 in comparison to similar properties.

Can My Share Of The Tax Burden Go Down?

Yes. If the market values in your area have not risen as much as in other areas since the last revaluation, or, if your property is currently overvalued when compared with like properties, your share of the tax burden could be reduced as a result of revaluation.

When Will The New Assessments Be Effective?

The new assessment will be placed on the October 1, 2024 Grand List from which a tax bill will be generated and due on July 1, 2025.

If My Revaluation Notice Doesn’t Tell How Much I Will Have To Pay, Or How High Taxes Might Go, What Good Is It?

The primary purpose of a revaluation notice is to show you the assessment determined so that you can have an opportunity to review it. Questions of value can be reviewed and explained. Adjustments, corrections, and concerns will be noted.

Remember, a revaluation establishes and addresses value not taxes. Revaluations are important because the amount of municipal taxes are based on the assessed value of  the property.

The formula is Assessment x Mill Rate = Taxes.

How Are Mill Rates Established?

Except where otherwise determined by law, mill rates are established by dividing the total budget amount to be paid by local taxes by the total taxable assessments in the Town, as determined by the Board of Finance and the R.T.M.

If Assessment Values Go Up, Won’t My Taxes?

In bringing property values up to date, there is generally an increase in the total assessments on the Grand List for the Town.  If the assessments increase, but the mill rate stays the same, then your taxes will go  up.

With an increase to  the Grand List, Branford’s governing body can reduce the mill rate lessening any required tax increase. In other words, the mill rate would fall by a proportionate amount, assuming budgets pre and post revaluation were identical. The point being that a balanced budget is all that is required.  The valuation of your property is only one part of the equation necessary to determine your actual tax bill.  The other and equally important part of the equation is the amount of tax dollars that the RTM and Board of Finance determine is needed for meeting the budgeted expenses of the Town and education system.

 

Why Can’t Someone Tell Me What The New Rate Will Be and What My Taxes Will Be?

Until a total Grand List, including all new values, is completed and a new budget is adopted, no one can say what the mill rate or your tax bill will be.

One fact to consider, however, is that with the downward adjustment of the mill rate at revaluation, the tax bill on motor vehicles decreases. Remember, since the 2019 revaluation, the real estate assessments have been 70% of 2019 market value, and have remained that way for the past five years until the 2024 revaluation. But this is not the case for motor vehicles. A motor vehicle is annually assessed at 70% of current average retail value. If the mill rate is reduced, one would pay less in Branford on motor  vehicle taxes.

 

Who Initially Sets My Assessment and What Can I Do If I Think It Is Wrong?

The Revaluation Company calculates the assessed value. If you believe that your assessment is wrong, you will have the opportunity for a meeting during the informal hearing process. You will be given an appointed time to come into the revaluation office to review your assessment. This is the proper place and time to correct any errors and miscalculations.  A member of the revaluation company’s staff will review your property records and necessary adjustments will be made if you can demonstrate  that an error has been made in describing your property which significantly affects its value.

If there is significant difference between the data on your property records and the actual state of your  property, the revaluation company will schedule an inspection and review of your property. In some cases, where the person appealing presents factual evidence, an adjustment can be made without additional inspection and review.

 

If After the Informational Meeting I Still Disagree with The Assessment, What is the Next Step?

The next step is a formal hearing before the Board of Assessment Appeals. You can make inquiry at the Assessor’s Office for the meeting dates and proper procedure to follow in order to have an appointment with the Board.

 Any evidence that you may have affecting your assessment should be presented to the Board of Assessment Appeals.

 Should a disagreement remain after the Board of Assessment Appeals hearing, an appeal to the Superior Court under Section 12-117A of the Connecticut General Statutes is the next and final step.

 

Is There Any Disadvantage To Me If I Appeal?

No. In fact, the Assessor’s Office encourages you to review your assessment and appeal if you sincerely question the value. The Assessor’s Office will see that each taxpayer is satisfied within the limits set by the state statute, and at the same time assure that assessments are made on a fair share basis. In the great majority of cases, when the Assessor finds out that the taxpayer is correct, an adjustment is made. However it is essential to remember that the Assessor  has a duty to all the taxpayers in Town to be fair and equitable, and work within the guidelines of the general statutes.

What About Exemptions and Elderly Programs?

The Connecticut General Statutes provide exemptions for veterans, the blind and totally disabled. If you now have an exemption, it will be automatically deducted at tax billing time. For those who do not have an exemption, but believe that they qualify for an exemption, please make inquiry at the Assessor’s Office.

Those elderly on the Homeowners Program will not lose their benefits at revaluation, as long as they meet the requirements of the program and maintain the bi-annual filing. For information on how to get on the Homeowner’s Program, please  call the Assessor’s Office.

 Any questions about revaluation can be directed to the Assessor’s Office at the Branford Town Hall. The telephone number of the Assessor’s Office is (203) 488-2039. Staff are available from 8:30 A. M. to 4:30 P.M., Monday through Friday.

Additional Revaluation Information on Vision Government Solutions Website

Contact Us

Have another question? Get in touch!

  

Branford Connecticut Assessor’s Office

assessor@branford-ct.gov

Visit Assessor’s Website | (203) 488-2039

Mon. through Fri. 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

1019 Main Street, Branford, CT 06405