People the city over deal with the assessor on a regular basis to have adjustments made to their property tax bills. It is how the system works. It is no different than taking advantage of credits and deductions on your income taxes.
But our hatred for Manning, over what seems to be a few thousand dollars a year, seems like he's been eating babies and bathing in the blood of virgins. I think there are some deeper issues here for you and I'd really recommend getting those worked out.