#3 Public Information Ideas and Handout
Public Info Ideas – Revaluation
Staff developed the following list of ideas to publicize the upcoming Revaluation. During the
committee meeting, staff will ask your thoughts on the following questions:
What ideas from the list below do you think would be helpful?
Are there any that seem unnecessary to you?
Are there other ideas that you would like to see completed that are not on this list?
What is the message you would like conveyed?
What are the questions you would like the City to answer about the Revaluation?
Ideas
Link to assessment info on website homepage and property search page
Video an interview about the revaluation process to broadcast routinely on JATV
Link to video on city homepage
Broadcast before council meeting
Upload to YouTube
Report or series of reports at council meetings about the Revaluation (City manager report)
City Assessor or Assistant City Manager speak at service clubs/business groups to share info
about the upcoming revaluation
Westgate
Forward Janesville
Downtown Development Association
Morning Rotary
Noon Rotary
Lions
Golden K
Presentation at the Sr Center
Web ads on Gazettextra.com - $200/mo approximately
Ad would link to online Reval information
Print ads leading up to distribution of assessment notices - $2400 approximately
Write guest column for the Gazette
Request interviews with the Gazette, Messenger, Dan Conry, etc.
Online tax calculator
Property owners input their new assessed value and see what their tax bill would be
(using the 2010 tax rate)
Reval Facebook page
Front page article in May 2011 city newsletter
FAQ style
GIS map of sales layers(Gordy/IT project)
IT could build a model small city (a couple dozen properties) to demonstrate the differing levels
of ‘revenue neutrality’ based on property makeup. Can show via graphs of values/tax distribution
a couple differing scenarios. (Gordy/IT project)
Draft text for May city newsletter
To the public May 23
Special Report: 2011 City of Janesville Revaluation Underway
The City of Janesville Assessor’s Office is underway with the implementation of the City’s next
revaluation. A citywide residential and commercial revaluation has not been completed since
2002 and the state Department of requires that we complete one.
Please find below a series of frequently asked questions about the upcoming revaluation process.
Should you have any questions, please call the Assessor’s Office at 755-3045.
How will the revaluation affect my property?
Each property owner will receive in mid-June 2011 a notice of their property’s assessment. The
notice will list what your property was previously valued at and what your new valuation is
proposed to be.
Why does the City have to do this?
Revaluations are used to equalize the tax base for all real and personal property on the basis of
fair market value. Having all properties assessed at their current value ensures each property
owner pays his or her fair share of taxes.
Will my taxes increase?
Taxation is determined through spending choices of officials in many taxing jurisdictions, such
as the State of Wisconsin, Rock County, Janesville or Milton School District, Blackhawk
Technical College and the City of Janesville. Once the jurisdictions decide how much funding
needs to be obtained through taxes, each property owner’s tax bill is developed using the
assessed value of the property as the guide.
Several homes in my neighborhood have foreclosed and the banks sold them for much less
than what I paid for my home. Does the City consider foreclosures when determining my
property’s value?
The Assessor’s Office uses only “arm’s length” sales when determining a property’s value;
foreclosures, bank-owned home sales or sales to relatives are not included. While there are many
news stories about foreclosures and they have become very prevalent in other parts of the
country, foreclosures and bank-owned home sales are still a very small percentage of the
Janesville real estate market. Therefore, the Assessor’s Office does not use them as appropriate
comparables when determining property value.
The economy hasn’t been that great in the last few years and homes in my area aren’t
selling quickly. Do I infer from these situations that my property will be worth less than the
last time it was assessed in 2002?
Not necessarily. The chart below depicts how the value of an average priced home in Janesville
would have appreciated if the City had revalued the property every year. In the early 2000s,
property value rose steadily, while in the late 2000s, values began to decline. Please notice,
however, that in comparison to 2002, average priced homes are still valued higher than what they
were in 2002. We expect this same trend to occur throughout Janesville.
[insert graph]
Who should I contact if I have questions about the revaluation process or my assessment
notice?
Call the Assessor’s Office at 755-3045.