The City Assessor’s office presented the department’s 2026 proposed budget to the Common Council’s Finance & Personnel Committee on Oct. 17, describing a steady staffing picture, improved valuation accuracy and a recommendation to reduce the remission (refund) fund because 2025 usage is well below its budget.

Lede: The Assessor’s proposed 2026 budget is largely a ‘‘true cost‑to‑continue’’ budget with no new full‑time positions requested and minor changes in salaries and operating contracts. The Assessor’s office reported an overall city equalization ratio of 99.9%, meeting Department of Revenue compliance.

Nut Graf: Commissioner Nicole Larson and her leadership team briefed the committee on valuation work, an ongoing digital sketching effort to update property records, the department’s public open‑book review process, and a recommended $500,000 reduction in the Remission of Taxes Fund for 2026 because actual 2025 usage appears lower than previously budgeted.

Highlights of the presentation: Budget staff said positions and FTEs are unchanged for 2026; the department’s small salary changes reflect promotions and internal adjustments. The largest operations increase cited was for market‑data software and appraisal data services. The assessor’s capital and operations workloads continue to emphasize property record modernization (digital sketching), land‑value updates and measurement of cruise‑related and commercial tonnage impacts on the port (discussed earlier in the meeting).

Valuation accuracy and process: The department reported a city equalization ratio close to 100% — residential roughly 99.5% and commercial about 105% — yielding an overall city ratio of 99.9%, which meets state requirements for equalization. Colin Williams and the commercial appraisal team credited updated modeling and improved data collection with narrowing prior gaps between assessed and market values.

Remission of Taxes Fund: Budget staff recommended reducing the 2026 initial allocation for the Remission of Taxes Fund by $500,000, because 2025 usage (appeals/refunds) was significantly below the amount budgeted. The Assessor said the fund can vary widely year to year; large court cases or settlements can change requirements and the office will recommend carryovers if needed.

Public outreach and open book: The department emphasized a four‑week open‑book period, when appraisers are available to talk with property owners. Assessor staff said they now contact every person who files an objection so appraisers can explain methodology, review comparable sales and seek resolutions before appeals escalate. The office also reported progress on condo land‑value updates and online objection filing (about 60% of objections now received electronically).

What committee members asked: Council members asked about mixed‑use and partial exemptions, the causes of increases in commercial appeals, the department’s capacity to inspect new accessory dwelling units and the status of digital sketching. Assessor staff described the department’s processes for taxing portions of mixed‑use properties, said that commercial appeals rose where commercial values increased faster, and explained the use of desktop digital sketching and city‑wide GIS data to reduce drive‑time inspections.

Ending: The Assessor’s presentation emphasized improved valuation accuracy, continued modernization of property records and a conservative proposed reduction in the remission fund in response to 2025 usage. Committee members requested follow‑up breakouts on exemptions, vacancy impacts and historical debt/transfer accounting tied to port revenues that were discussed earlier in the meeting.

Quote: "Our overall city equalization ratio is 99.9%," Commissioner Nicole Larson told the committee.

Votes at a glance: No votes on assessor items were recorded at the Oct. 17 committee hearing.