LACONIA Tax Increases

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Originally Posted by Rattler

My feeling is that the city of Laconia views the assessor's office as one big ATM that they can turn to in order to get immediate cash to fund their mismanagement of the city. This is because the assessor's office can play games with "market-based" assessments to make up whatever shortfall the city encounters in its bloated budget. This game playing helps the city increase property tax revenues without the need to significantly hike (and draw unwanted attention to) its outrageous property tax rate.

Belt-tightening and budget cutting are not concepts that the city of Laconia is familiar with or uses to manage city finances. Unfortunately, "spend more and tax more" appears to be their guiding management philosophy.

You can also appeal to the NH Board of Tax and Land Appeals. If, as you suggest, Laconia (Vision) is just making up numbers to avoid raising taxes directly, the BTLA can rectify such actions. Basically, Laconia, or any other town, can't just make things up without somebody from the state looking over their shoulder. The purpose of BTLA is to make things simple and accessible to the public without going to Superior Court. https://www.nh.gov/btla