PARIS – The town’s first reassessment of property values in almost 20 years may have some residents experiencing sticker shock, but not all the news is bad, according to Assessor Kevin McGillicuddy.

Bringing local values more in line with current market rates may mean the mill rate goes down, he said Wednesday. “I’m projecting a mill rate between 15 and 16.”

McGillicuddy was careful to clarify that the actual mill rate is set by the Paris Board of Selectmen, which has to consider the town’s operational needs and debt. If his ballpark figure becomes reality, however, the mill rate would drop significantly from last year’s rate of 22.73 mills.

McGillicuddy said that a rate of 16.5 mills would mean a property owner would pay $1,650 per $100,000 in property valuation this fiscal year. Last year, property owners paid $2,270 per $100,000 in valuation, he said.

The reassessment has been the first in Paris in 17 to 20 years, McGillicuddy said, which may account for the shock of some residents. While the state requires that properties be assessed at 70 to 100 percent of their market value, many properties in Paris had fallen well off that mark.

“There were areas of this town that were below 70 percent of the market. Quite a bit below,” McGillicuddy said.

Because of the reassessment, tax bills are expected to be a few weeks late this year. Instead, residents have first been sent letters explaining the results of the reassessment and their change in property value.

For the last two weeks, McGillicuddy has been meeting with residents who want to dispute the valuation numbers. Some adjustments may be made over the phone or right in the office, he said, while others will require a visit from a code enforcement officer.

McGillicuddy has set aside time in the next two weeks for more meetings with residents.

So far, the response has not been overwhelming. Many people, he said, may be waiting to receive their tax bills before taking issue with the revaluation.

That’s fine, McGillicuddy said, because residents have 185 days from the date of the tax commitment to appeal the assessed value of their property.

They cannot, however, appeal the mill rate, McGillicuddy said, pointing out that he is not in the business of adjusting taxes.

For more information on the revaluation or to set up an appointment with McGillicuddy, people may call the assessor’s office at 739-2522.