Assessor

The City Assessor’s Office is responsible for the discovery, listing, classification, and valuation of all taxable real and personal property located within the City of Omro for property tax purposes. The primary goal of the Assessor’s Office is to ensure that all property owners are assessed fairly, equitably, and uniformly in accordance with Wisconsin law and accepted assessment practices.

The Assessor’s Office does not establish tax rates, adopt municipal budgets, or determine the amount of property taxes levied by the City, County, School District, or Technical College District. Property assessments and tax levies are separate processes. An assessment represents only the estimated market value of a property as of January 1 of the assessment year. The actual property tax amount is determined by the budgets and tax levies established by the various taxing jurisdictions.

Assessment practices in Wisconsin are governed by Chapter 70 of the Wisconsin Statutes, the Wisconsin Property Assessment Manual published by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and applicable administrative rules and case law. These laws establish strict standards and procedures regarding valuation methods, assessment maintenance, taxpayer rights, open book procedures, and Board of Review hearings.

Under Wisconsin law, municipalities are required to maintain assessments at a level that reflects fair market value. The City’s assessment ratio must be within acceptable statutory parameters, and assessments must periodically be brought into compliance with current market conditions through revaluations or reassessments. Failure to maintain compliance with state requirements may result in the Wisconsin Department of Revenue ordering a reassessment at the expense of the municipality.

To maintain accuracy and uniformity, the Assessor’s Office utilizes modern appraisal techniques, market analysis, property record maintenance, sales ratio studies, field inspections, geographic and digital assessment technologies, and ongoing professional education. The office continually reviews market trends and property data to help ensure that similar properties are assessed in a consistent and equitable manner throughout the community.

The Assessor’s Office is committed to professionalism, transparency, and public service while providing accurate valuation information and assisting property owners with understanding the assessment process, property records, exemptions, and appeal procedures.