Assessments

Helping You Reach Community Objectives

For a city, the choice to assess property owners for even a small portion of public improvement costs can be a politically challenging undertaking. Elected officials must weigh the public benefit a project provides to the community as a whole against the special benefits received by specific, nearby property owners. Through years of experience with assessment services, we can offer insight regarding the potential pitfalls of assessments and propose creative solutions to avoid obstacles, while meeting your community’s unique objectives.

Policy Development

We work closely with your community to understand its needs along with any established policies or precedents for special assessments. If your city has not undertaken an assessment project recently, our team will assist you in developing a fair assessment policy to be used for current and future projects. Consideration is given as to who to assess, what to assess, and how much to assess. We facilitate workshops with policymakers, providing accurate information and viable alternatives that assist elected officials in making informed decisions.

Public Input

While property owners may be supportive of the improvement project itself, they understandably may be opposed to the amount of their own assessment. We’re confident in taking the front line when these situations arise—answering difficult questions from property owners and explaining the rationale behind assessments.  While we can’t promise that property owners will be happy to be assessed, our goal is to give them a clear understanding of why they are being assessed, how their assessment amount was determined, as well as the city’s share of the project cost.

Snyder & Associates Assessment Services

Assessment Policy Development

Plats & Schedules of Assessment

Public Hearings