PARIS — The Select Board agreed Monday to hire RJD Appraisal for the upcoming property revaluation, following recommendations from Town Manager Natalie Andrews and town assessor Cindy Namer.
To keep costs down, the Pittsfield-based company has agreed to appraise one-quarter of the town each year until the revaluation is completed in 2029.
“There’s significant pressure on all people who do this type of work,” Namer said. “There’s not just anybody out there to do this kind of work.”
Namer and Andrews proposed a four-year approach to complete the revaluation. Each year, RJD Appraisal will assess a section of town, making it the most cost-effective option, according to Namer.
The last revaluation was done in 2015.
The town will pay $40,000 annually for the first three years, with a remaining balance of $387,000 due upon completion, for a total of $507,000. Andrews said $50,000 has already been set aside for the revaluation.
The impact of the revaluation will not take effect until the entire town is completed in 2029.
In other business, the board set Thursday and March 20 for joint meetings with the Budget Committee to review the upcoming budget. The board also scheduled the annual town meeting for June 16, beginning at 6 p.m.
During the public comment period, resident Troy Ripley raised concerns about the cost of police services. He questioned whether combining services with Norway and Oxford police departments, or even the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, could reduce costs for taxpayers.
The town has budgeted more than $1 million for the Police Department.
“How much money are we willing to spend as a municipality on a police department at our expense, and our expense only, and not share that with the Sheriff’s Department and the state police or other agencies?” Ripley asked. “Isn’t it time for us once again to look at more efficient methods of law enforcement? We can’t keep going.”
Board Chairman Scott McElravy said Police Chief Michael Ward informed him the county does not have the manpower to include Paris in its coverage.
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