Assessing

The primary function of the Department of Assessment is to ensure that all property within the City of Keene is assessed fairly and in accordance with the New Hampshire laws governing taxation. Toward that end, the Department conducts various practices to ensure an equitable distribution of the tax burden. With an automated data base which allows for annual, incremental changes in property value, the Department is able to keep pace with the ever changing real estate market. This stand alone method indexes property values annually to reflect an assessment which correlates with 100% of fair market value as of April 1st of each tax year.

The Department of Assessment has completed a Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) report, as required by the Assessing Standards Board (ASB). The report pertains to the 2011 statistical update conducted by the Department. It may be reviewed at the department upon request.

The City of Keene Department of Assessment has prepared property values for the 2012 tax year. The values are available for viewing in the Assessor's Office, the Lobby of City Hall, the Keene Public Library and on the City's website, beginning Friday, November 2, 2012.

General Responsibilities:

• Respond to inquiries and requests from customers by providing information, verbally and by report, relating to physical property characteristics, assessments, statistics, taxes, statutes, etc.
• Inspect, list and value building permits; changes in use from rezoning or other actions; perform statistical analyses to monitor market trends and applying those indicators uniformly.
• Maintain automated property database and associated paper files (property record files and maps) by processing real estate transfers and implementing sub-divisions and mergers.
• Validate all real estate transactions to ensure that arms length sales are used to determine market trends
• Annually establish property values based on market analyses and implement resulting value changes.
• Compile data and other contributing information on every property transaction in the City to the State for the purposes of conducting an annual equalization study.
• In accordance with State law, administer elderly, blind, deaf, disabled, religious, charitable and educational exemptions, tax deferrals, veteran credits, current use and timber tax.
• For tax rate setting purposes, state the aggregate value of all property, taxable and non-taxable, including tax increment finance district plans, along with other statistical data.
• Provide information to the Board of Assessors for the swift processing of property tax appeals at the local level.
• Process, recommend and defend tax appeals before the Board of Tax and Land Appeals and Superior Court.
• Advise the governing body of impending legislation and make appropriate recommendations for action.
• Oversee the cyclical re-inspection program of all residential property over a four year period to improve data accuracy. Confirm and implement resulting physical and property characteristic changes.
• Meet the Assessing Standards Board guidelines on data quality and statistics.
  Position the City to meet certification requirements for 2008.
• Maintain professional designations and educational requirements through attendance at educational functions.

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