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Marblehead Board of Assessors has released preliminary fiscal year 2026 property valuations for public review, continuing a transparency initiative launched after assessment errors led to hundreds of abatement requests in prior years.
The proposed assessments are available for review through Friday, Oct. 24 at the Assessors Office at 7 Widger Road, Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St., Abbot Public Library, 235 Pleasant St., and online at the town’s assessor website. The valuations will appear on actual tax bills mailed in December.
The fiscal year 2026 assessments reflect property values as of Jan. 1, 2025 and are based primarily on calendar year 2024 sales.
”Normally, people get their bill, and then they can go and file for an abatement, and you have until Feb. 1 file for abatement, but this gives people a chance to look at it before the bills get printed,” Lederman said.
The disclosure period runs Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Assessors Office. Residents can view assessments online by visiting the assessor’s page on the town website and accessing the preliminary valuation list organized by street address.
The town received preliminary certification from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue for the proposed fiscal year 2026 assessments. A thorough analysis was conducted in accordance with the Department of Revenue’s “Guidelines for Development of a minimum Reassessment program,” according to the disclosure notice.
Lederman emphasized that residents who spot discrepancies should contact the assessor’s office now rather than waiting to file formal abatement applications after receiving December tax bills.
“So if you see something that’s out of whack, what we want to do is encourage people to go to the Assessors Office, and bring it up now, because there’s an opportunity to discuss their individual situations before having to file for a formal abatement,” Lederman told the Independent.
He added that informal discussions during the disclosure period can resolve issues more efficiently.
“This is an opportunity to talk to the assistant assessor and bring it to his attention and have an opportunity to correct it before it gets formally printed,” said Lederman, adding that it could “really save a lot of aggravation.”
The early publication initiative began in 2024 after Marblehead experienced significant assessment problems that resulted in portions of the town being severely overvalued. The errors prompted a surge in abatement applications and damaged public trust in the assessment process.
“We’re publishing it so everybody can see it in advance, especially after these last couple of years where we had the situation, the problems with assessments and parts of town being severely overvalued,” said Lederman.
The goal is to prevent year-end surprises for property owners.
“Now that things are stabilized, we want to get that data out as early as possible. People don’t have to be surprised in the end of December,” Lederman said.
The Assessors Department determines fair market value of all property for taxation purposes. The office does not set tax rates or determine tax relief eligibility. Massachusetts law requires assessors to establish full and fair cash value for all taxable property.
Marblehead’s current tax rate is $9.05 per $1,000 of assessed value, set Dec. 4, 2024, for fiscal year 2025. The fiscal year 2026 rate will be determined in December at the annual tax classification hearing.
Residents who wish to compare their individual property value changes to the town average can access the complete preliminary valuation list online. The list includes nearly 7,500 taxable properties organized by street address with current and proposed valuations.
Property owners who identify data errors, incorrect property information or valuation concerns are encouraged to contact assistant assessor Todd Laramie at (781) 631-0236 or assessors@marbleheadma.gov during the disclosure period.
Formal abatement applications remain available for property owners who disagree with their final assessed values after December tax bills are issued. The deadline to file abatement applications is Feb. 1.
