WHEATLAND — The total property value in the town of Wheatland fell by 1 percent in the last year, according to a recent reassessment conducted by Associated Appraisals.

John Holtan of Associated Appraisals said the value fell from about $333 million in 2008 to $330 million this year. The average residential property assessment decreased proportionately, though Holtan said some property owners did see a greater decrease and some saw an increase.

“This year we knew the on-shore properties were going to be a challenge,” Holtan said of the Lilly Lake neighborhood. “In some cases there was a decrease in value.”

Lakefront property owners in Wheatland and other municipalities were stunned in recent years by how much their properties were increasing in value given the economy.

The average Wheatland home’s tax bill increased about 18.5 percent between 2004 and 2008. The average Wheatland home’s assessed value grew 39 percent between 2004 and 2007, according to Kenosha News calculations. Lakefront property assessments rose by a higher percentage during that time period, in some cases by 80 percent.

Holtan said because Wisconsin is a market value state, the law requires assessors to look at the sale of comparable property, not what homes are listed at for sale or the length of time a property has been on the market.

“We looked at each property individually,” Holtan said. “We didn’t apply a common factor.”

Holtan said there were only a few sales in the town that could actually be used for comparison purposes. One particular lakeshore property was sold in 2006 for $369,000 and again in 2008 for $344,000, for a $25,000 loss. Other properties sold in 2008, however, did not result in a loss.

“We tried to use the information the best we could,” he said.

In general, the process in Wheatland has been smoother this year than in other municipalities, such as Somers, that have not had a revaluation done in several years.

“This has been a challenging year,” Holtan said. “We’ve heard from people who have lost their jobs — broken people, beaten people. It is just heart-wrenching for us.”

Open book sessions were held recently in the town, and the deadline to make an appointment with the Board of Review was last Friday. Seven property owners have requested their assessments be reviewed.

“I expected emotions to run a little higher,” Holtan said of the number of people questioning their assessments.