On June 1, the Monroe County Commissioners voted in favor of Resolution 2016-01, calling for a countywide real property tax reassessment. The last reassessment was in 1989.

According to information provided by the county, the need for a reassessment is based on a number of factors that normally occur between assessment periods.Market values change. This may be due to appreciation, decline, structural modifications, re-zoning and land divisions. The reassessment is intended to restore equity within the county.In the 27 years since the last assessment there has been large fluctuations in the area and the county has heard thousands of assessment appeals. As a result there are widely varying assessed values, sometimes within the same neighborhood.The resolution states that it is the responsibility of the Board of Assessment Revision to establish the fair market value of all real estate parcels in Monroe County. The countywide assessment is designed to achieve fair and equitable distribution of the real estate tax burden among all Monroe County property owners."It is our duty to fairly assess properties in the county," said Chairman John Moyer. "Right now two-thirds of our taxpayers' assessments are based on faulty data. This is the only way to make sure that the valuations are equitable and ultimately fair."We want to do this in the most transparent manner for all 103,000 parcels in the county. There will be an opportunity for everyone to understand what is going on and there will be a website, which will allow everyone in the county to see the assessed value of not only their own home, but that of every property in the county."Right now some property owners are subsidizing others and some are being subsidized, we just want everyone to pay their fair share," said Moyer.The commissioners will need to hire a firm to perform the reassessment. The cost of the reassessment is expected to cost between $6.5 and $7 million. The commissioners have looked at a number of firms and have narrowed it down to two.Evaluator Services and Technologies Inc. and Tyler Technologies are both being evaluated at this time.According to Moyer, both firms have their own software programs, which eliminates one of the major concerns, that being any software problems would be the firm's responsibility.Moyer believes that the county will be ready to hire the firm as early as mid-July.The valuation date chosen by the commissioners is Jan. 1, 2019.