2021 VERNON GRAND LIST
Phone: (802) 257-0292 ext. 21
Email: lister@vernonvt.org
567 Governor Hunt Rd., Vernon, VT 05354
General description of the jobs of the Listers:
Listers are public officials, elected for three-year terms, who are responsible for the valuation of real property (real estate) in the town.
The first basic responsibility of Listers is to appraise all personal and real property at Fair Market Value. When a Lister is elected, they take an oath to do just that.
Listers have to understand appraisal methods and property assessment administration in Vermont. This involves taking courses, attending municipal officers’ meetings, and keeping up to date on State statutes and any other regulation that affects the job of Lister.
Between the years in which complete town wide reappraisals are completed, corrections, additions and adjustments are made to maintain equity among properties. To do this, analyzing and interpreting sales data is necessary. A log book is kept of sales of all properties. This information is used to develop a land schedule, as well as to keep abreast of the market. Survey letters are sent to buyers and sellers asking for information about the sales that would help us better understand the market.
Listers must be knowledgeable about governmental regulations, methods of determining value, the Current Use program, subdivision regulations, personal property, Veterans exemptions, tax mapping, and keeping up to date on current legislation affecting Listers and their towns.
Responsibilities of the Lister Board
The Listers are responsible for the preparation and overall maintenance of the Grand List, a comprehensive list of every property in Vernon, ensuring that it is as accurate and equitable as possible.
The Listing (valuation) year runs from April 1st to March 31st of the following year. Thus for any given year, the owner and condition of the property is effective as of April 1st. The Listers are responsible for appraising all real property in Vernon in compliance with applicable Vermont State statutes. The duties also include updating changes resulting from address changes, work with tax maps, and maintaining the State’s Current Use program. The Listers periodically inspect properties in order to keep data current. Typically, the Listers perform exterior inspections of new and existing structures. Whenever possible an interior inspection is done. Without an interior inspection, errors in reporting can occur, which may not be in favor the taxpayer. Please note any changes made as a result of an inspection represent data corrections only, not market adjustments.