Assessing

Humes

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2020 Inspections

Assessing has begun the 2021 Assessment cycle. We view properties for various reasons:
  • Sale reviews
  • Changes due to Building Permits
  • Fire damage and/or repairs
  • Owner request for review
  • Periodic reviews, etc.

If you receive a letter requesting the Assessing Department view your property, please contact the Assessing Department at 608-270-4235. Due to COVID-19, we are offering various options:

  • We are offering Zoom visits for those with the technology. What you would need would be a mobile device with a camera (phone, laptop, tablet) where you could talk with us and show us the property. You would need internet access. We will email a Zoom link about a day before the scheduled appointment. The owner would click on the link at their scheduled appointment time and an appraiser would view the property and take notes from the office. The meeting will not be recorded.
  • We can do an exterior visit and verify the interior by discussing our data with the owner via phone.
  • We are still offering an interior walk through for those that are comfortable. We are requesting all parties wear masks and the owner open all doors and turn on all light switches. We would prefer that staff not to touch any surfaces within the property.

We need to keep everyone as safe as possible, while still completing are required duties. Please call us at 608-270-4235 with any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Open Book Session

City of Fitchburg Open Book was Wednesday, July 22, 2020 through Friday, August 7, 2020 weekdays from 7:30 am – 4:30 pm. City Hall is currently closed due to Covid-19. For questions or to discuss your assessment, please call the Assessing Department main number at (608) 270-4235.

Board of Review
Board of Review met Friday, September 18, 2020 at 9:00 am

 Navigating Assessment information
You can find a video explaining how to navigate the City of Fitchburg Assessing page and the Quick Links here.

Sale Information


We often are asked how we determine assessed value. This is done by analyzing sales that took place in the previous year, reviewing them to determine if they are arms length transactions (willing buyer and willing seller on the open market), and applying market trends to neighborhoods and similar property characteristics. You can find the 2019 valid sales here. To easily search the document, use "Ctrl F" to search by parcel number, address, or street.

You can find the 2018 valid sales here. 

Calculating Property Taxes


Generally speaking, property taxes are calculated by multiplying the assessed value by the mill rate (tax rate). The assessor assigns the assessed value to the property, however the mill rate is controlled by the budgets of the school districts, technical colleges, and at the county and local levels. The assessor is not involved with establishing mill rates or in the collection of taxes. If you have questions about the value of your property, please feel free to contact us. 

A video explaining how taxes are calculated can be found here.

What We Do


The duty of the Assessor's Office is to discover, list, and value residential, commercial, agricultural, and business personal property. This information is recorded on each year’s assessment roll.

The City of Fitchburg revalues all real and personal property annually in accordance with Chapter 70 of the Wisconsin State Statutes and under the authority of ss. 943.13 and 943.15.  All properties are reviewed and revalued as of January 1 of each new year.  If the property value is changed from the previous year, a notice of changed assessment indicating the new assessed value will be sent to the property owner.  Dates and times for Open Book and Board of Review will be provided on the notice of assessment.    
  
The purpose of an assessment is to assure that all property in the city is valued fairly and equitably as required by law. Many individuals, such as property owners, prospective buyers, appraisers, real estate agents, builders, title companies, and government agencies may utilize this information for various reasons. 
 

Assessment Information

      
Specific information for properties located in the City of Fitchburg (square footage, year of construction, etc.) can be obtained on the Assessor Data web site.

Ownership information is posted on Access Dane.

Manufacturing Property


Manufacturing property is not assessed at the local level. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue assesses all manufacturing property in the State of Wisconsin.

Meet The Team


Rear (left to right): Perry Nell, Dwight Frame, Nick Heer
Front: Amy Mercer

Assessment Team Picture