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Citywide Property Revaluation

At a glance

  • What: New Hampshire requires a full revaluation every five years; Manchester's last was 2021, and 2026 is its year. Preliminary notices went to residential owners on October 5 and 6; commercial notices went out October 6.
  • Where it stands: Owners who disagree must schedule a hearing by October 16. Hearings were scheduled through about November 3 and could be extended. The state sets the tax rate in November.
  • Next: Hearings through early November; DRA sets the rate late November; first tax bills in December. Formal abatement requests are due March 1, 2027.

Timeline from the Assessors (Chuck Kurfehs)

  • September 1: Kurfehs said the contractor, Vision Government Solutions, promised preliminary notices on September 15 and the Assessor planned to finish the review September 8. Some preliminary figures had briefly appeared on the Tax office website because of an unnoticed live feed from the contractor's data transfer; the situation was corrected and the notices would carry the right numbers. (In the event notices arrived October 5 and 6.)
  • October 6: revaluation is required every five years by the State Constitution and RSA 75:1 and 75:8; 48 communities, including Salem, Concord, Bedford, Amherst and Keene, revalue in 2026. More than 30,000 parcels. The contractor is a private firm based in Hudson, Massachusetts, and Kurfehs said it appeared overloaded after taking on Concord.
  • Notices are not tax bills; values are subject to change, and last year's rate must not be applied because the rate is expected to drop significantly.
  • Hearings: call or schedule online by October 16 (not the hearing end date); hearings run to about November 3 and could be extended. Chairman Kurfehs promised flexibility for people with legitimate reasons, such as late notices.
  • Appeals: if a hearing does not resolve a dispute, pay the bill; a formal abatement application is due March 1 (forms available before the second bills), the City decides by July 7, then the taxpayer has until September 1 to go to the Board of Tax and Land Appeals or Superior Court, not both.
  • Tax rate: set by the Department of Revenue Administration after the City submits the MS-1, which cannot be completed until hearings finish. Kurfehs expected the rate in late November, with bills after. Kurfehs estimated a tax increase "under 16 or 15%"; Mayor Ruais said it is too preliminary to tell. Terrio concluded that an unchallenged notice value will probably be close to final.
  • Website: public values are at vgsi.com, but some browsers (notably Chrome) show old values; try Edge, Firefox or a private window and clear the cache. Kaw-uh confirmed private mode worked. Fajardo also had trouble choosing a hearing jurisdiction on the scheduling page; phone reservations are available.

Aldermen

  • Kantor said residents are overwhelmed, asked for the process and why neighbors' numbers cannot be compared.
  • Fajardo asked the Assessors to be flexible about the October 16 scheduling deadline and said the burden on property owners in New Hampshire is heavy.
  • Sapienza worried about a time crunch before the state can set the rate.
  • Motion to receive and file the communication by Terrio, second Goonan.

Public comment (October 6, 2026)

  • Barton (retired piano teacher living on Social Security): bought for about $235,000 in 2010; assessment rose from $353,400 in spring to $545,800, up $192,000 since June.
  • Girard: sold and bought a home and saw assessments roughly 20 percent above appraisal and another near $1 million that went under agreement for $35,000 less than the speaker paid for the new home; asked the city to publish the projected total tax base and the tax rate that would apply without the $20 million property tax increase.
  • Ping: a client six to eight unit building faces a 36 to 38 percent tax increase, which Ping said threatens working class rents.
  • Rodriguez: the revaluation notices have landed with the new rate.

Sources

Log

2026-10-06 - Board of Mayor and Aldermen

Board of Assessors communication that preliminary notices were mailed; Kantor pulled it from consent. Long Q&A with Kurfehs; received and filed. Public speakers criticized the new values.

2026-09-01 - Board of Mayor and Aldermen

Sapienza asked when values would be known; Kurfehs gave a September 15 mailing date and explained that preliminary figures were briefly visible online by mistake.