Listen & Learn Why

Listen to the 2026 Ripon Revaluation Podcast

Hear, in plain language, why Ripon assessments jumped, what this page explains, and how the tools on this site help you review your notice and decide next steps.

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Why Is Ripon Revaluing Property in 2026? — interim market update, compliance, and accurate property records
Why the Revaluation

Why Is Ripon Revaluing Property in 2026?

Ripon is going through a citywide property revaluation because its assessments had fallen out of compliance with Wisconsin assessment standards.

The City’s own 2025 staff report says Ripon had been out of compliance beginning in 2023 and was expected to remain out of compliance without corrective action. If that continued long enough, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue could eventually require a state-supervised revaluation.

To address that problem, the City approved an Interim Market Update Revaluation with Associated Appraisal Consultants in August 2025.

Download: 2025 Staff report - Property Revaluation

Why This Method?

The City had several options, including more extensive revaluation methods that would involve substantially more property inspections.

Instead, Ripon selected the Interim Market Update approach because it is less costly and relies primarily on:

  • existing property records
  • recent sales and market data
  • neighborhood and property classifications
  • computer-assisted mass appraisal models

AAC’s own materials explain that this method can bring assessments back toward full market value without physically inspecting every property.

That is important because a full citywide inspection program would be more expensive, more time-consuming, and more intrusive for homeowners.

Know Your Rights!

Wisconsin Statute § 70.05 (4m) gives homeowners the explicit right to deny a property tax assessor entry into the interior of their residence.

Key details on your rights

  • Right to refuse: Pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes § 70.05 (4m), visual inspection of the interior of your home is prohibited unless you voluntarily authorize it.
  • No penalty on assessment: An assessor cannot use your refusal to allow an interior inspection as the sole reason to increase your property tax assessment.
  • Right to appeal: Under Wis. Stat. § 70.47(7)(aa), refusing entry does not stop you from objecting to or appealing your property tax assessment.

The Tradeoff

The advantage of this approach is lower cost and less intrusion.

The tradeoff is that the assessor may be relying on property information already on file. AAC’s own materials acknowledge that when every parcel is not physically inspected, outdated or inaccurate property records may not always be discovered.

A Delayed Correction, Not Hyperinflation

Ripon’s assessment problem did not create hyperinflation. What it created was a delayed correction.

For several years, assessed values fell further behind market values. Instead of smaller adjustments over time, homeowners are now seeing a much larger one-time correction designed to bring assessments back toward full market value.

That delay matters because large catch-up adjustments can shift the tax burden, magnify errors in property records, and make the financial impact much harder for homeowners to absorb.

The real question is not simply why assessments increased. It is why Ripon allowed the gap to grow for several years—and whether each homeowner’s new value is supported by accurate property information and actual market evidence.

Make Sure the Information About Your Property Is Correct

Your assessment may be based on existing records showing things such as:

  • square footage
  • number of bathrooms
  • finished basement area
  • garage size
  • additions or improvements
  • property condition
  • other characteristics used in the valuation model

If those records are wrong, the assessment may also be affected.

So the most useful question for a homeowner is not simply:

“Why did my assessment go up?”

It is:

“What information and market evidence did the assessor use to determine the new value of my property?”

That is the purpose of the tools on this site: to help you understand your numbers, compare your property with the broader revaluation, review the information behind your assessment, and decide whether you have a reasonable basis to ask for an adjustment.

Your Input Matters — review property facts, ask questions at Open Book, and dispute when evidence supports it
Your Input Matters

Why Your Participation Matters!

With the method Ripon selected, homeowner participation matters more, not less.

The City chose an Interim Market Update Revaluation, which relies heavily on existing property records, market sales, neighborhood data, and computer-assisted valuation models instead of physically inspecting every home. AAC’s own materials acknowledge that this approach is less expensive and less intrusive, but also that outdated or inaccurate property records may not always be discovered when every parcel is not inspected.

That means your input can become an important part of the assessment process.

Why your input matters

If the assessor is working from existing records, those records may not perfectly reflect the current condition of your property. The assessor may have incorrect information about square footage, basement finish, bathrooms, garages, additions, condition, or other characteristics that affect value.

Your role is to check the facts.

Even if you ultimately agree with your assessment, reviewing the information used to value your property is worthwhile. You can confirm that the property record is accurate, understand what market evidence supports the value, and know how your increase compares with the broader revaluation.

If you disagree with the assessment, your strongest position is not simply that the increase feels too high. It is to identify specific facts or market evidence showing why the valuation may be incorrect.

Wisconsin Gives Property Owners a Formal Voice

Wisconsin law requires municipalities to provide an Open Book process before Board of Review. At Open Book, the assessment roll is available for examination and property owners can discuss their valuation directly with the assessor. If the assessor agrees that a correction is appropriate, the assessment can be changed at that stage.

If you remain dissatisfied, Wisconsin law provides the Board of Review process under Wis. Stat. § 70.47. Property owners have a right to present evidence supporting their objection, and the Board can change an assessment if the evidence establishes that it is incorrect.

In a revaluation year, Wisconsin also requires notice of a changed assessment sufficiently in advance of Board of Review so owners have time to examine the new value and prepare.

The important point is that participating in the assessment process does not mean surrendering your privacy

You can provide information, photographs, repair documentation, comparable sales, property-condition evidence, and corrections to the assessor’s records without automatically inviting an interior inspection.

Whether you dispute or not, participate

There are really three possible outcomes after reviewing your assessment:

  • The assessment appears reasonable. You now understand how it was calculated and can leave the process confident that the property information appears accurate.
  • You have questions but are not ready to formally dispute it. Use Open Book to ask the assessor to explain the property data, comparable sales, neighborhood factors, and valuation model supporting your number.
  • The evidence suggests the assessment may be incorrect. Document the problem and prepare an objection supported by facts.

The most useful mindset is:

Do not dispute just because your number increased. Do not accept it simply because the city calculated it. Review the evidence and participate in the process.

With Ripon’s chosen market-update method, homeowners are an important quality-control check. The assessor has the model and the records. You know the property.

Wisconsin’s assessment process gives you an opportunity to bring those two things together before the value becomes final.

Understand Your 2026 Ripon Assessment — public education and property tax guide for City of Ripon property owners

Understand Your 2026 Ripon Assessment

A plain-language guide for property owners in the City of Ripon, Wisconsin, following the 2026 citywide market update revaluation.

1. What is a Revaluation?

A revaluation is a complete update of all taxable property values within a municipality to represent 100% of fair market value. Wisconsin law (Sec. 70.10, Wis. Stats.) requires assessments to be at or near market value. In Ripon, the city contracted Associated Appraisal Consultants, Inc. to conduct the 2026 market update revaluation.

Notice Quote: "This market update revaluation has resulted in an overall increase of 69% in the total assessed value of real estate within the City of Ripon."

2. Why Assessments Increase While Tax Rates Decrease

A revaluation does not generate more tax revenue for the city, schools, or county. As stated on the official city revaluation notice:

"It is important to understand that no additional tax revenue will be generated or collected as a result of the market update revaluation."

The total amount of property taxes collected is determined by the levies adopted by local taxing jurisdictions (City of Ripon, Ripon Area School District, Fond du Lac County, and Moraine Park Technical College) in November.

The Revenue-Neutral Mill Rate Formula
Projected Mill Rate = Previous Mill Rate / (1 + Citywide Assessment Growth)

When total assessed property value increases by 69% citywide, the mill rate needed to collect the exact same dollar levy drops by approximately 40.8%! (e.g. from $19.85 to ~$11.75 per $1,000).

3. Why Your Bill Changes: Relative Tax Share

Your property taxes depend on how your individual assessment change compares to the 69% citywide average:

  • If your property increased by exactly 69%: Your share of the tax base remains unchanged (0% tax change under a flat levy).
  • If your property increased by LESS than 69% (e.g. +45%): Your share of the tax base drops. Even though your assessment increased, your property tax bill will actually decrease under a flat levy!
  • If your property increased by MORE than 69% (e.g. +106%): Your property valuation grew faster than the rest of the city, so your proportional share of the levy increases.

4. What Evidence Actually Matters in an Assessment Challenge?

Under Wisconsin Statutes (Sec. 70.47), the assessor's valuation carries a statutory presumption of correctness. You cannot overturn an assessment simply by arguing:

❌ "My assessment increased by 106% and that's too high!"
❌ "My property taxes are going to increase!"
❌ "My neighbor's house went up less than mine!"

To successfully challenge an assessment, you must present market-based evidence showing that the assessor's value exceeds what a willing buyer would pay for your home on January 1, 2026:

✓ Recent Arm's-Length Comparable Sales: 2 to 4 sales of similar homes in Ripon that sold in 2024–2025 for less than your assessed value.
✓ Factual Property Record Card Errors: Incorrect square footage, wrong number of bathrooms, finished basement recorded that doesn't exist, etc.
✓ Documented Physical Deficiencies: Severe structural, foundation, roof, or plumbing defects that the assessor's mass appraisal exterior drive-by did not account for.

5. How Open Book & Board of Review Work

Step 1

Open Book (Informal Discussion with Assessor)

Open Book is your opportunity to review your Property Record Card with Associated Appraisal Consultants, ask questions, point out factual errors, and discuss comparable sales in an informal setting without taking an oath.

Phone Session: Sept. 21, 2026 • 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
In-Person Session: Sept. 23, 2026 • 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM at Ripon City Hall Council Chambers
Call for Appointment: (920) 749-1995 or email info@apraz.com

Step 2

Board of Review (Formal Quasi-Judicial Hearing)

If you cannot reach an agreement during Open Book, you may file a formal appeal with the Ripon Board of Review (BOR). The BOR operates like a court where testimony is taken under oath.

Meeting Date: Oct. 22, 2026 • 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Mandatory 48-Hour Notice: You must file written notice of intent to appeal with Municipal Clerk Diane Bartlett at least 48 hours before the BOR begins!

Next Step: Board of Review guide →

6. How Residents Can Organize & Seek Transparency

While an individual appeal focuses on your specific property's market value, residents can collectively ask the City of Ripon for municipal transparency:

  • Ask city council to publish the complete revaluation sales study and neighborhood stratification tables.
  • Attend upcoming city council and school board budget hearings in October and November when the actual tax levies and tax rates are voted on.
  • Share anonymous assessment data on this platform to help Ripon see whether revaluation increases were distributed evenly across all 11 wards.