City-County Building
Common Council

Property Assessments and Appeal Process...plus this week's updates

posted 

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick note this week. Lots packed into my schedule. I had the good fortune of seeing Paul Simon in concert last night in Milwaukee, which was amazing. Hope this is a good week for all of you.

Here are this week's updates:

Assessments

The City Assessor is responsible for the assessment process including:

  1. Discovering all real and personal property that is subject to tax unless exempted by law;
  2. Listing all property characteristics used to determine value; and
  3. Valuing all property subject to property tax.

Creating and maintaining an accurate assessment roll (list of all taxable property: address, value, and owner) fulfills the first requirement. Sustaining property record cards with correct characteristics and information satisfies the second requirement. Accurate valuation, the final requirement, entails estimating the market value of all locally assessable property in the City. These values are used when establishing property taxes in December. Please see the Assessor's Office for more information.

In Madison, all property is valued annually at 100% of market value as of January 1. There are several types of real property, including single family homes, condominiums, apartment buildings, commercial, and agricultural properties. Real property is assessed by the City Assessor and represents approximately 99% of the property tax base. The remaining 1% of the tax base is manufacturing property valued by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

Real Estate Changes

Locally assessed real estate increased 9.1% for 2025. Commercial assessments increased 10.9% and residential assessments increased 8%. New construction accounted for over $1 billion of the base value. Steady growth and continued development contributed to the increase.

Recap of Local Changes

A report(opens in a new window) is available including tables that focus on the compositions and rates of locally assessed real estate growth.

Open Book & Assessment Appeals

Assessment Notices

2025 assessments were mailed May 16 and available on the city assessors's website.

Open Book: Correct assessment record with appraiser

During the Open Book period, you can review your assessment record. If any details are incorrect, we will correct the error and adjust your assessment. These might include:

  • Change in the number of rooms
  • Building permit that was not completed on January 1, 2025

During this period, our staff can also explain the methods and information we use to assess your property.

The 2025 Open Book Period to correct assessment records is May 19 – May 23, 2025. 

To correct an assessment record, please contact us at:

If your property details are correct but you disagree with the assessed value of your property, you will need to file an objection with the Board of Assessors by 4:30pm on June 2, 2025.

Boards, Commissions, and Committee Meetings 

Note: This is not a complete list of meetings for this upcoming week. All meetings and their details can be found at the Meeting Schedule page. 

  • Common Council: The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include a presentation by the Finance Department titled Overview of City Budget. 
  • Plan Commission: The Plan Commission meeting will take place on Monday, May 19, at 5:30 p.m. in virtual format. Agenda items include development-related requests in District 6 and District 10. 
  • Housing Policy Committee: The Housing Policy Committee meeting will take place on Thursday, May 22, at 4:30 p.m. in Room 215 of the Madison Municipal Building at 215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Agenda items include staff presentations on the role of the Housing Policy Committee, as well as Madison’s housing situation and the efforts of the City. 

If you would like more information about becoming a member of a City board, commission, or committee, please visit the page linked here. 

Announcements and News Releases 

  • BRT Powers Metro to Highest April Ridership Since 2015 : Madison’s Metro Transit is celebrating a major milestone: more than 1.3 million rides were taken in April, marking the highest April ridership in nearly ten years and signaling a powerful comeback for public transit in the region. [posted May 12, 2025] 

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted. 

Events 

  • Volunteer at The Glen, Saturday, May 24: Every month, we offer chances for people to volunteer at The Glen Golf Park. You can help make the park look beautiful by working on the land, managing it, and restoring areas that need attention. There are also opportunities to work on the detailed gardening and landscaping tasks that keep everything looking great. It's a chance to get involved, get your hands dirty, and make a visible difference in our community's green spaces.  
  • Bird & Nature Adventures | Edna Taylor, Saturday, May 24: Join Naturalist Mary Binkley for a free fun fascinating family friendly guided walk on beautiful walking trails at Aldo Leopold Nature Center and Edna Taylor Conservation Park.  Help look for Signs of Spring and learn about what's happening! 
  • Vegan Sausage Fest, Saturday, May 24: Vegan Sausage Fest returns for the third year! This year VSF will be held at Warner Park in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday May 24, 2025, from 12-4pm. Our goal is to share with the community that you can enjoy delish food without harming animals. 

Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar.  

That's all for now.

Take care and stay safe,

Tag

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District 13 - Alder Evers

Alder Tag Evers

Alder Tag Evers

District 13
Contact Alder Evers