City to Mail Estimated Tax Bills Again

For the second consecutive year, tax bills for Cambridge property owners will only be estimates because city assessors have yet to complete a six-year-old revaluation, officials said yesterday.

Because the revaluation--which will raise tax assessments of city property to 100 percent of its value--is not predicted to be complete for several months, the state department of revenue granted Cambridge, permission to use estimated figures three weeks ago, a city official said this week.

The official added that the difference between the estimated bills, scheduled to be mailed next week, and the actual figures will be corrected on the next bills in May.

Last Year

When Cambridge used estimated bills a year ago, state officials ordered the city to hire an outside consultant to examine several problems with the operation

Revaluation Project Director Peter Helwig said yesterday he "doesn't expect that type of problem" this year.

"Our consultant eliminated some [state] concerns and developed solutions to others," explained Helwig, adding that "the state is familiar and satisfied" with the current bills.

Statistics

Helwig said city officials hope to send the completed revaluation statistics to the revenue department in October.

After a review by state officials, notices of new property values should be mailed to Cambridge residents by December, he added

The state-mandated revaluation began in 1976, and was expected to last four years, Helwig said.

He estimated the cost to the project's end as $700,000.