Mansfield Township Committee introduced an ordinance to start a reassessment of property values for the first time in 17 years.
By: William Wichert
MANSFIELD Nearly two months after postponing any official action on the issue, the Township Committee has introduced an ordinance to start a reassessment of property values for the first time in 17 years.
The committee on April 13 unanimously introduced an ordinance authorizing over $200,000 in emergency funding to begin a reassessment this year. The ordinance will be up for final adoption at a public hearing on Wednesday.
The reassessment, in which inspections will be conducted of all taxable properties in the township, will revise the assessed values of these properties and ultimately alter the amount of taxes paid by each property owner.
This process will correct the disparity between the market values of properties that change every year and the assessed values that have remained the same since the last reassessment in 1988.
The Township Committee delayed voting on this ordinance in February, when a few residents questioned performing a reassessment and not a revaluation. The only difference between the two is that township Tax Assessor Harry Supple Jr. would conduct the inspections in a reassessment, and an outside firm would do them in a revaluation.
The residents said that Mr. Supple’s role in a reassessment may cause suspicion, but members of the Township Committee said they trusted him to do a thorough job.
"I think he’s very professional," said Township Committeewoman Terri Tallon-Hammill by phone. "I think he will do what needs to be done."
The governing body also favored doing a reassessment, because of the cost savings, said Township Committeeman Jaime Devereaux. While the ordinance allows for an appropriation of $200,350 for a reassessment, a revaluation can cost between $298,000 and $350,000, he has said.
"In our effort to save taxpayers’ money, we thought this was the best direction to go," he said in a recent phone interview.

