CONCORD — An evidentiary hearing looking at whether abatements granted by the Berlin Board of Assessors to board members were “illegal and improper” was continued Tuesday after more than five hours of testimony.
The issue stems from the city’s decision to hire KRT Appraisers in September 2018 to do a statistical update of residential property valuations. Testimony Tuesday revealed valuations increased and over 160 property owners filed for abatements.
kAm%H@\E9:C5D @7 E96 232E6>6?E 2AA=:42E:@?D H6C6 56?:65]k^Am
kAm%96 }]w] q@2C5 @7 %2I 2?5 {2?5 pAA62=D C646:G65 4@>A=2:?ED 7C@> EH@ q6C=:? C6D:56?ED E92E H9:=6 E96:C C6BF6DED 7@C 232E6>6?ED 7C@> 2 a_`g DE2E:DE:42= AC@A6CEJ G2=F2E:@? FA52E6 925 366? 56?:65[ 2== E9C66 >6>36CD @7 E96 q6C=:? q@2C5 @7 pDD6DD@CD A=FD 2 72>:=J >6>36C 925 366? 8C2?E65 232E6>6?ED]k^Am
kAmq@2C5 r92:C #@36CE v@552C5[ 2?5 >6>36CD |2C< t2DE>2? 2?5 z6> #@K6< 2AAC@G65 232E6>6?ED 7@C 6249 @E96C 2D H6== 2D @?6 7@C #@K6<’D D@?[ %@> #@K6<]k^Am
kAmp? :?G6DE:82E:@? 3J E96 }]w] s6A2CE>6?E @7 #6G6?F6 p5>:?:DEC2E:@? 4@?4=F565 E96 232E6>6?ED 5:5 ?@E 2AA62C E@ 36 “72:C[ 6BF:E23=6[ @C AC@A@CE:@?2=]”k^Am
kAmx? 2 HC:EE6? C6A@CE DF3>:EE65 5FC:?8 E96 962C:?8[ y2>6D v6CCJ[ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 |F?:4:A2= 2?5 !C@A6CEJ s:G:D:@? 2E s#p[ D2:5 E96 7@FC 232E6>6?ED 8C2?E65 D9@H65 2 =24< @7 EC2?DA2C6?4J 2?5 244@F?E23:=:EJ 6IA64E65 @7 AF3=:4 @77:4:2=D 2?5 DF886DE65 D6=7\562=:?8 2?5 4@==FD:@? @? E96 A2CE @7 E96 3@2C5]k^Am
kAm“pE 2 >:?:>F> E96J 92G6 E96 2AA62C2?46 @7 :>AC@AC:6EJ H9:49 :D ?62C=J 2D 4@CC@D:G6 @7 E96 AF3=:4 ECFDE 2D 24EF2= :>AC@AC:6EJ 2?5 7@C D6G6C2= C62D@?D H2D 4@>A=6E6=J 2G@:523=6[” v6CCJ HC@E6]k^Am
kAm%96 s#p C64@>>6?565 E96 232E6>6?ED 36 C6G6CD65 2?5 E96 q6C=:? 2DD6DD@CD C6BF:C65 E@ C6A2J E96 C65F4E:@? :? E2I6D E96J C646:G65 2D 2 C6DF=E]k^Am
kAm#6AC6D6?E65 3J E96 =682= 7:C> @7 v2==2896C[ r2==292? U2>Aj v2CEC6==[ E96 3@2C5 @7 2DD6DD@CD :?:E:2==J 2C8F65 E96 q%{p D9@F=5 C6;64E ;FC:D5:4E:@? @7 E96 >2EE6C 3642FD6 E96 a_a_ C6G2=F2E:@? 925 E2<6? A=246 2?5 4=@D65 E96 5@4<6E @? E96 AC:@C C6G2=F2E:@?] qFE E96 q%{p D2:5 :E 76=E E96 :DDF6 C6BF:C65 7FCE96C 6I2>:?2E:@? 2?5 @C56C65 E96 962C:?8[ H9:49 H2D 4@?5F4E65 G:CEF2==J]k^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE 3@2C5 >6>36C E@ E6DE:7J[ t2DE>2? D2:5 2D 96 C6G:6H65 E96 FA52E6[ 96 C62=:K65 E96 G2=F2E:@? @7 9:D 9@>6 H2D @FE @7 DE6A H:E9 G2=F2E:@?D @7 4@>A2C23=6 AC@A6CE:6D 96 H2D D66:?8] w6 D2:5 96 564:565 E@ 7:=6 7@C 2? 232E6>6?E]k^Am
kAm“pD 2 E2IA2J6C[ x 76=E x H2D 2E =62DE 6?E:E=65 E@ 8@ E9C@F89 E96 AC@46DD[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmt2DE>2? D2:5 E96 3@2C5 >6>36CD 5:5 ?@E 5:D4FDD E96:C :?5:G:5F2= 2AA=:42E:@?D :? 25G2?46 2?5 C64FD65 E96>D6=G6D 7C@> G@E:?8 2?5 5:D4FDD:?8 E96 2AA=:42E:@? H96? E96J 42>6 367@C6 E96 3@2C5] pD<65 H9J E96 3@2C5 5:5 ?@E 92G6 z#% CF=6 @? E96:C :?5:G:5F2= 2AA=:42E:@?D[ t2DE>2? D2:5 E96J 925 FD65 FA E96:C S`d[___ 4@?EC24E 2?5 E96 3@2C5 E@@< @G6C E96 232E6>6?ED 3642FD6 E96 4:EJ’D 7:?2?4:2= D:EF2E:@? H2D 5:C6] !C@3=6>D H:E9 E96 FA52E6 925 56=2J65 86EE:?8 E2I 3:==D @FE 2?5 E96 4:EJ H2D 6IA=@C:?8 E2<:?8 @FE 2 E2I 2?E:4:A2E:@? ?@E6 3642FD6 :E H2D CF??:?8 @FE @7 >@?6J]k^Am
kAm"F6DE:@?65 23@FE E96 724E E92E E96 >6>36CD’ 2AA=:42E:@?D H6C6 DAC625 @FE @G6C D6A2C2E6 >66E:?8D[ t2DE>2? D2:5 E96C6 H2D ?@ 677@CE E@ 9:56 E96 232E6>6?ED] w6 D2:5 232E6>6?ED H6C6 E2<6? FA :? 49C@?@=@8:42= @C56C 2?5 :E H2D 2 4@:?4:56?46 E92E E96 3@2C5 >6>36CD H6C6 2E E2<6? FA 2E E9C66 5:776C6?E >66E:?8D]k^Am
kAmt2DE>2? E6DE:7:65 E92E 3@2C5 >6>36CD 2C6 G@=F?E66CD 2?5 D2:5 E96 E9C66 H@C<65 6IEC6>6=J 92C5 2?5 DA6?E 9@FCD @? E96 FA52E6[ H9:49 96 D2:5 ?66565 2 =@E @7 H@C<] pE E96 D2>6 E:>6[ 96 D2:5 E96 3@2C5 H2D 86EE:?8 AC6DDFC6 E@ 2AAC@G6 :E D@ E96 4:EJ 4@F=5 86E E2I 3:==D @FE] pD :E H2D[ E2I 3:==D H6?E @FE 2 >@?E9 =2E6]k^Am
kAm“(6 E2<6 E9:D G6CJ D6C:@FD] %9:D :D @FC C6AFE2E:@? @? E96 =:?6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmq@2C5 >6>36C z6> #@K6< 56=:G6C65 2 7@C467F= 5676?D6[ E6==:?8 E96 q%{p D96 ?6G6C 5:D4FDD65 96C 2AA=:42E:@? H:E9 96C 76==@H 3@2C5 >6>36CD 2?5 E96C6 H2D ?@ 4@==FD:@? @C D6=7\562=:?8]k^Am
kAm{:<6 t2DE>2?[ D96 D2:5 E96 3@2C5 H@C<65 92C5 2?5 EC:65 E@ 36 72:C E@ AC@A6CEJ @H?6CD]k^Am
kAm#@K6< D2:5 D96 7@F?5 E96 AC@4665:?8 “9:89=J :?DF=E:?8[” 255:?8 E92E E96 >6>36CD 5:5 ?@E D66< E@ 8:G6 E96>D6=G6D 2 E2I 3C62<]k^Am
kAm“x’> 2 E2IA2J6C 2?5 :7 x 766= >J E2I6D 2C6 E@@ 9:89 x 92G6 2 C:89E E@ 7:89E E96>[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm&?56C 4C@DD 6I2>:?2E:@?[ E96 3@2C5 >6>36CD H6C6 BF6DE:@?65 23@FE E96 C65F4E:@?D @? E96 3@2C5 >6>36C’D G2=F2E:@?D]k^Am
kAmt2DE>2? H2D BF6DE:@?65 23@FE E96 #@K6< AC@A6CE:6D D66:?8 2 C65F4E:@? :? G2=F6 7@C 2? 6=64EC:42= EC2?D>:DD:@? =:?6 E92E CF?D E9C@F89 A2CE @7 3@E9 AC@A6CE:6D]k^Am
kAmt2DE>2? D2:5 4@?46C?D @7 E96 962=E9 67764ED @7 6=64EC@>28?6E:4 7:6=5 42? 92G6 2? :>A24E @? AC@A6CEJ G2=F6]k^Am
kAms#p pEE@C?6J s6C6< z=:?6 D2:5 96 4@F=5 7:?5 ?@ @E96C AC@A6CEJ :? q6C=:? E92E 925 :ED AC@A6CEJ G2=F2E:@? C65F465 7@C 2 EC2?D>:DD:@? =:?6]k^Am
kAm%96 962C:?8 C646DD65 H:E9 v@552C5 36:?8 BF6DE:@?65]k^Am
kAmp 52E6 7@C E96 962C:?8 E@ C6DF>6 92D ?@E 36 2??@F?465 J6E]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.