Challenging Your Property Assessment

Are you satisfied with your property assessment? If not, March 20 is the deadline to file an appeal with the Board of Assessment Appeals to challenge the revaluation of your property. On Monday the City Council’s Miscellaneous Matters Committee will vote on approving three new members to the Board of Assessment Appeals as a tight timeline approaches for hearings. See agenda here.

Mayor Joe Ganim has submitted the names Joseph Almeida, Obiora Nkwo and Charlie Coviello, a multiple mayoral candidate who once served on the board, for approval.

Approval was delayed waiting on background checks for the candidates. If no issues the three will presumably be approved by the full City Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting March 7. Rich DeParle is a holdover member of the board.

Tax Assessor Elaine Carvalho will sign the grand list on February 28. City bean counters will base the city budget on that when Ganim issues his first spending plan to the City Council the first week of April for the year starting July 1. But you can challenge your assessment.

In case you missed it, the letter below was sent to property owners by the Tax Assessor’s Office providing the process to review and appeal the assessment.

In accordance with Connecticut General Statutes, the City of Bridgeport has completed a Revaluation of all Real Property for the October 1, 2015 Grand List. Pursuant to section 12-55 of the Connecticut General Statutes, you are hereby notified of your property’s October 1, 2015 assessment (shown below) as established by the Office of the Assessor and Vision Government Solutions. Your Assessment represents 70% of October 1, 2015 market value, unless it is classified in whole or in part as farm, forest, or open space. Farm, Forest and Open space assessments are reflected in assessment shown below. Assessment exemptions (for example: Veteran’s exemptions) are not reflected in the new assessment shown below, but will be applied to the final assessments.

Do not apply the current tax (mil) rate to your new assessment, as doing so will result in an inaccurate tax calculation. The new mil rate will be determined by the City in the spring of 2016.

You may review your new assessment on the Vision Government Solutions web site gis.vgsi.com/bridgeportct/. This site will allow inquiry access to the Assessor’s database, including value summary, property data, and general revaluation information. Property owners wishing to have their new assessments reviewed with a representative from Vision Government Solutions may do so by scheduling an appointment online. Informal hearing/assessment review meetings will be held at 45 Lyon Terrace in Bridgeport, by appointment only.

To schedule an appointment please go to: www.vgsi.com/schedules and follow the instructions. You will need the Parcel ID number (PID#) at the top of this letter in order to book your appointment. If you have more than two parcels you wish to discuss, please do not schedule online, instead call the number below. If you do not have access to a computer, you may call Vision Government Solutions at 1-888-844-4300 between the hours of 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM Monday-Friday excluding public holidays. Please do not call the Assessor’s Office with new assessment inquiries or to schedule appointments.

If you wish to appeal your assessment after the informal hearing/assessment review process with Vision Government Solutions has been completed, a written appeal to the Board of Assessment Appeals on the prescribed Board of Assessment Appeals appeal form must be completed and physically delivered to the Assessor’s Office by March 20, 2016. The forms will be available in February, 2016 from the Assessor’s Office in the Bridgeport City Hall and on the City’s website.