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Beaver County's Ongoing Reassessment Of 96,000 Properties Will Raise Taxes For Some And Lower Them For Others

BEAVER, Pa. (KDKA) - Beaver County is in the middle of a reassessment of all 96,000 properties in the county. And while COVID requires the assessors to be masked, homes are still being visited every day.

Like many counties, Beaver is under a Court Order to update its property assessments last done in 1982.

That requires an individual to knock on your door to ask pretty basic questions so that the fair market value of your house can be determined.

"Right now I believe they are in Economy Borough, and I believe they are coming into my neck of the woods, Center Township, next," Kevin McIlwain told KDKA money editor Jon Delano on Wednesday.

McIlwain is the Beaver County chief assessor and says Tyler Technologies data collectors are working their way around the county, hoping to wrap up by summer.

"They also have badges on that tells you they're with Tyler Technologies and Beaver County. They're also wearing masks so you'll see their face on their badges but you won't see their face because obviously they are covered with their masks. They'll also have their gloves on," says McIlwain.

If you're home they'll ask a few questions like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, but nothing about your furnishings.

"If you do not answer, they will leave a little tag for you to fill out the information. But they are also going to continue their job. They will measure the outside of the property even if no one answers."

McIlwain says the County's data collectors will never ask to enter a home.

"If anyone that identifies themselves as Tyler Technologies asks to come in that house, you call the police and shut that door," says the chief assessor.

The data collected at the door is only part of what's used to evaluate your home's value, including information from special aircraft.

"It flies over. They get everything, sees everything. And they have cars just like Google, cars that drive around. So they have everything without ever stepping foot outside of their office," notes McIlwain.

In March of 2022, property owners will get their new assessment, and new millage rates will make the overall taxes collected revenue neutral plus 10 percent.

So will Beaver County taxpayers pay more?

"Typically across the board it's one-third, one-third and one-third. You see about a third go up, a third go down, and a third stay the same," predicts McIlwain.

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