City of Milton - Assessor RFP.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR

CITY ASSESSMENT SERVICES

May 27, 2025

The City of Milton is entertaining proposals from qualified individuals or firms to provide assessment services for the City of Milton, Wisconsin (hereafter, referred to as "City"). The proposal should include services to conduct revaluations during the term of the service period. We are providing the following information to assist you with your quotation proposal:

A. Background Information The City of Milton is a residential community in Rock County. The City has an estimated population of 5,716 based on the 2020 U.S. Census. The 2024 total assessed value for the City is $687,559,800, with the share of non-manufacturing real property at $ 612,391,100. The City’s equalized value is $713,263,000. Below is a table summarizing the City’s Statement of Assessment for 2024.

Real Estate Land Parcels

Improved Parcels

Number of Acres

Value of Land

Value of Improvements

Total Value

Residential 2,021 1,873 766 $61,675,600 $389,589,200 $451,264,800

Commercial 217 192 538 $31,271,000 $129,376,300 $160,647,300

Manufacturing 15 15 332 $6,392,600 $68,776,100 $75,168,700

Agriculture 39 453 $192,600 $192,600

Undeveloped 7 19 $5,600 $5,600

Ag Forest 1 13 $15,900 $15,900

Other 2 2 5 $87,700 $177,200 $264,900

Total All Property $687,559,800

B. Scope of Work- Assessment Services

1. Assessor will perform all the work required to properly and professionally assess the real and personal property of the City in accordance with applicable Wisconsin State Statues.

2. Assessor will review and assess all properties that were under partial construction as of January 1st of the previous year.

3. Assessor will review and assess new construction as of January 1st of the current year.

4. Assessor will account for all buildings destroyed or demolished.

5. Assessor will implement/use value assessments of agricultural lands per specifications set forth by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

6. Assessor will process parcel splits and new plats.

7. Assessor will correct legal descriptions as needed.

8. Assessor will take digital photographs of new construction and on the review process if needed.

9. Assessor will file building permits or copies of such in property record files.

10. Assessor will maintain property owner lists, with current name and address changes.

11. Assessor will post assessments to real estate transfer returns and record sale information to property record cards.

12. Assessor will be responsible for maintaining recent plat and subdivision maps and aerial photographs on file and updated accordingly.

13. Assessor will annually update all property owner record cards with new legal description labels.

14. Assessor will mail Notices of Increased Assessment.

15. Assessor will conduct Open Book sessions in accordance with Wisconsin State Statues.

16. Assessor will be responsible for ensuring that all procedures are properly completed for the Board of Review proceedings to be held prior to the end of July each year. Assessor will also attend the Board of Review meeting, defending the Assessor’s valuation and work products.

17. Assessor will be responsible for providing the Wisconsin Department of Revenue with final reports of assessed valuations after the Board of review meeting.

18. Assessor will provide assessment and/or clerical office hours, as requested by residents and/or the

City Administrator.

19. Assessor will provide a local or toll-free telephone number and email for City officials and residents to contact assessor during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. The assessor shall return calls or emails before the end of the next business day of receipt.

20. Assessor will provide digital photographs with comparable properties in preparation for Board of

Review meeting(s) so that the Board and the petitioner have evidence of comparability.

Additionally, the assessment computer shall be updated within fourteen (14) days of the final adjournment of the Board of Review.

21. Assessor will provide access to property assessment records on the Internet for public and staff access. The assessment records are public records, which are subject to the provisions of the Wisconsin public records law. Assessor will maintain the assessment records in a format accessible by the public and will promptly and without delay comply with proper open records requests under the Wisconsin Public Records Law.

22. Assessor will also perform all other duties incidental to the normal duties of an Assessor.

C. Scope of Work – Revaluation Services:

The Revaluation, if determined advantageous by the City Council, is to be completed yearly. The Assessor, having familiarized themselves with the local conditions affecting the cost of the work to be done, and the Standard Specifications for the Revaluation of all Real the State of Wisconsin pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes, will perform everything required to be performed, and to complete in a professional manner, all the work required to be completed, to revalue all Real and Personal Property within the City in accordance with all the applicable Wisconsin State Statutes.

1. The Assessor will complete all revaluation work in a timely and professional manner in compliance with Wisconsin State Statutes and the Wisconsin Property Assessment Manual.

2. The Assessor will complete a market update in line with current sales for all properties in the City.

3. The Assessor will reconcile existing property record card data with data maintained in the

Assessor’s mass appraisal software program.

4. The Assessor will review all recent property sales, perform an outside inspection to verify property attributes, and take digital color photographs of all current sales.

5. The Assessor will perform sales analysis to determine value trends and help to build a valuation model specifically for the City.

6. The Assessor will apply new valuation model to existing property record information to arrive at a new assessed value for all property in the City.

7. The Assessor will individually review each property to ensure a fair and equitable assessment.

8. The Assessor will mail new notices of assessment along with a letter explanation to all property owners.

9. Prior to the Open Book hearing period, a time for public inspection of the proposed roll will be allowed. The Open Book period should be scheduled to comply with appropriate Statutes and ensure notice to affected properties.

10. The Assessor will hold enough “Open Book” meetings with taxpayers allowing enough time for those taxpayers wishing to ask questions or provide evidence supporting a different value.

11. The Board of Review for the revaluation period will be scheduled at the mutual convenience of the Assessor, Board of Review, and the City Clerk.

12. The Assessor will attend “Board of Review” to provide testimony supporting the assessment.

13. The Assessor will defend assessed values should a taxpayer challenge their assessment after the board of review at no additional cost to the City.

D. General Quotation Requirements

1. All quotations must identify the firm name, address, and specific assessment services experience in

Wisconsin. The proposals shall also include the names, educational background and municipal assessment experience of the person or persons to be assigned as the City’s point of contact for the work to be performed. Experience with conducting a reevaluation process should also be identified in the proposal.

2. The proposal shall include the total annual compensation rate to provide the assessment services described in the above Specific Services Required and in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin. The City will pay the annual compensation rate as the work is completed by the Assessor and certified by the City.

3. The proposal should provide clear fixed fees for annual maintenance for the 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030 assessment years.

4. Proposals shall also provide cost to reflect yearly revaluation (market updates) of City property during the period of the contract. The Assessor shall demonstrate to have successfully completed a revaluation in a municipality of similar size and stature. The Assessor shall have staff competent to perform such a revaluation of commercial and residential property.

5. All work shall be accomplished in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the State of

Wisconsin and in full compliance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

6. The proposals shall identify three (3) references from municipal clients for which the bidder has provided assessment services within the past three (3) years. References must include the name, title, address, phone number and email of the reference contact.

7. The proposals shall identify all contractual requirements that the bidder currently has.

8. Identify the date when the firm would be available to begin providing assessment services to the

City.

9. All personnel providing assessing services shall be currently certified in compliance with Wisconsin

State Statutes and applicable administrative rules of the State of Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

10. Bidders are advised to carefully inspect the community, the entire records and facilities of the City of Milton and examine the above referenced specifications for the proposed work and judge for themselves the circumstances affecting the cost of the work or the time requirements for its completion. Failure to do so will not relieve the successful bidder of the obligation to furnish and perform the work, to carry out the provisions of the contract, and to complete the contemplated work for consideration set forth in this bid.

11. The successful bidder is not permitted to assign, subcontract, or transfer the work of providing assessment services, without the prior written approval of the City.

12. The successful bidder will have at least five years’ experience in municipal government assessing;

and will have advanced knowledge and experience in the utilization of computer applications for assessments.

13. The successful bidder shall maintain insurance coverage to protect against claims, demands, actions, and causes of action, arising from any act or omission of the Assessor, their agents, and employees in the execution of the work. Certificates of insurance by a company authorized to transact business in the State of Wisconsin shall be supplied to the municipality. The City of Milton shall be named as an additional insured.

Limits of liability will not be less than:

Worker’s Compensation Statutory

Bodily Injury

• Per person $ 100,000

• Per occurrence $ 300,000

Property Damage

• Each occurrence $ 50,000

Comprehensive Auto Liability Including: Non-Ownership Coverage

• Each person $ 100,000

• Each occurrence $ 300,000

Property Damage

• Each occurrence $ 50,000

E. Other Information

1. All proposals become property of the City.

2. The City is not liable for any cost incurred by the prospective auditor in replying to this RFP.

3. If it becomes necessary to revise any part of the RFP or otherwise provide additional information, an addendum will be issued by the City and furnished to all firms that have received copies of the original RFP.

4. All proposals must include either a description of the Firm’s insurance or a certificate of insurance outlining the Firm’s insurance policies which evidence a produce amount of coverage for the willful or negligent acts or omissions of any officers, employees, or agencies thereof.

5. The submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by the firm of the conditions contained in this request from proposals unless clearly and specifically noted in the proposal submitted and confirmed in the contract between the City of Milton and the firm selected. The City of Milton reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.

F. Evaluation Criteria The proposals will be reviewed and awarded to the assessor whose quote is the most responsive to the solicitation and is the most advantageous to the City of Milton, considering experience, price, and other factors. The City reserves the right to accept or reject all proposals received.

The following evaluation criteria will be used to review the Assessment Services Proposals that are received:

1. Demonstration of successful experience in providing general assessment services to a municipality of similar size, particularly with diverse and lakefront properties.

2. Demonstration of a high level of accuracy in assessment work for municipal clients.

3. Cost of assessment services.

4. Evidence of positive customer interaction, including responsiveness to the municipal staff and the public.

G. Term of Engagement The Assessor will be selected and hired directly by the City Council. The City will propose a five (5) year service contract with the firm that is selected. The following is a list of key dates up to and including the date proposals are due to be submitted:

Request for proposals issued: June 4, 2025 Due date for proposals: July 11, 2025 (12:00 p.m.)

Firm Interviews (anticipated) Week of July 21, 2025 Firm Selected by City Council(anticipated) August 5, 2025 Coverage beginning date (no later than): January 1, 2026

H. Information and Submission Instructions All requests for further information and proposal submissions should be directed to:

Paul Hensch City Administrator City of Milton 608-868-6900 ext. 6 phensch@milton-wi.gov

Thank you for your interest in this project!

mailto:phensch@milton-wi.gov