Property owners are advised the city will begin its state-mandated revaluation process Feb. 9.

Tyler Technologies, CLT Appraisal Division, has been hired to assist the assessor’s office in completing the state-mandated revaluation of all residential property. Vision Government Solutions will perform the revaluation of all commercial/industrial property.

 Data collectors will soon begin the task of inspecting individual properties. The data collection phase of the program is expected to be complete by fall 2015.

In a statement, Tax Assessor Christopher Celeste said, “Cities and towns are required by state law to conduct a full revaluation of all residential and commercial properties every nine-years. The purpose of the revaluation is to obtain accurate property information to ensure that tax assessments are fair and equitable. There are over 40,000 individual parcels in the city,”

Celeste remarked. “In order to facilitate this lengthy process, we are calling upon owners to assist the data collectors who will be visiting your properties. I would like to thank residents and business owners in advance for their cooperation.”

This revaluation requires a full inspection of all properties. The definition of a full inspection is “to measure or verify the exterior dimensions of a building or structure and to enter and examine the interior of such building or structure in order to observe and record or verify the characteristics and conditions thereof, provided permission to enter such interior is granted by the property owner or an adult occupant.”

A data collector will make an initial visit to each property to verify the information currently on file in the Assessor’s office. The data collector will ask to briefly inspect the interior. If no one is available at the time the data collector visits the property then only the exterior of all buildings will be measured.

Although property owners are not required to allow the data collector inside their home, their cooperation is important to the overall success of the project. The only way to truly ensure equitable assessments is with accurate information.

Data collectors do not determine property values. They are responsible for collecting and/or verifying information on land and structures, including sketches and measurements of buildings.

Both CLT and Vision Government Solutions staff will carry a photo ID, a letter of identification from the Tax Assessor’s Office and will have their cars registered with the Warwick Police Department.

Residential property owners who wish to question an ID, can call the CLT project office at 738-2000 x 5200, the Assessor’s office at 738-2000 x 6016, or the Warwick Police Department at 468-4200.

To question an ID of Commercial/industrial data collectors and other appraisal workers, residents can call the Assessor’s office at 738-2000 x 6016 or the Warwick Police Department at 468-4200.