PARIS — Town assessor Cindy Namer is moving forward with adjusting property values up in order to get as close to 100% of “just value” as possible, she explained to selectmen recently.

Namer performed a similar one in 2022 and hopes that by doing these periodically, it will reduce the large shift in assessed property values, and thus tax bills, which usually accompany a townwide revaluation. Paris last had a revaluation in 2014, she said during the Board of Selectmen meeting July 8.

“The reason I’m telling you this is to get out in front of it,” Namer said. “It’s very much like what we did a couple years ago, and that lasted two years.”

Currently, the assessed value of properties in Paris is 81% of just value. If the values are not adjusted so that the town is at least 92%, Paris could see reductions in tax reimbursements from the state for things like tree growth, homestead exemptions, farmland, solar, and open space, Namer said.

Once a town dips below 70% of just fair market value, the state requires a revaluation, she said.

The adjustments across the board will provide a more just fair-market value of property. The higher assessments could raise taxes for some and lower taxes for others, depending on the market value of the property.

In order to more accurately adjust values, Namer looked at property values and about 268 sales records over the course of two years, rather than just one.

“So I looked at a really good sampling of data,” she said.

Namer noted that many towns are in a much worse position than Paris, as they have not adjusted assessed values or performed a revaluation in several years. When this is the case, once a revaluation is performed, the assessed values would shift more considerably if they haven’t been adjusted in some time, thus having a greater impact on property taxes.

“We’re not in a bad position,” she said. “That if we have to do a reval in two or three years, the blow isn’t going to be ‘you haven’t done it in 20 years.’ We’ve been doing these little increments all along,” Namer said.

Namer noted that she feels the pain of property taxpayers. In her hometown of Bowdoin, where a revaluation hadn’t been done in 20 years until recently, her taxes went up $1,300. The assessed value of her property went from $160,000 to $410,000.

“I’m there with everyone feeling the same blow,” she said.

Namer explained that with the adjustment, the tax rate should go down. Without the adjustments, and if the town’s reimbursements from the state were reduced, this would raise the rate.

“I’d rather get out in front of it and let you know what’s happening,” she said.

A flyer will be sent with property tax bills and all the information about the assessed value adjustments will be posted to the town website, she said.

A resident asked about the “inflated” housing market and what would happen if prices dropped suddenly. Namer said that if the housing market turns around and prices start dropping, she would merely adjust the market values of all the properties in town back down to be more in line with the fair market price.

The Select Board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the Town Office.