Property Assessments
Tax Levies & Assessed Values
There are a number of different taxing districts in a jurisdiction, each with a different levy. Each year the County Auditor determines for that district a levy that will yield enough money to pay for schools, police and fire protection, road maintenance and other services budgeted for in that area. The tax levy is applied to each $1000 of a property's taxable value. The value determined by the Assessor is the assessed value and is the value indicated on the assessment roll. The taxable value is the value determined by the auditor after application of state ordered "rollback" percentages for the various classes of property and is the value indicated on the tax statement.
When comparing the value of your property with other properties always compare the values on the assessment roll or the Assessor's property record cards and not the value indicated on the tax statement.
Why Do Values Change?
State law requires that all real property be reassessed every two years. The current law requires the reassessment to occur in odd numbered years. Changes in market value as indicated by research, sales ratio studies and analysis of local conditions, as well as economic trends both in and outside the construction industry, are used in determining your assessment. If you disagree with the Assessor's estimate of value please consider these two questions before proceeding, as outlined below:
If you have any questions about the assessment of your property, feel free to come in and discuss it with the assessor or the assessor's staff.
You may file a written protest with the Board of Review which is composed of three or five members from various areas of the assessing jurisdiction. The Board operates independently of the Assessor's Office, and has the power to confirm or to adjust either upward or downward any assessment.
If you are not satisfied with the decision of the Board of Review you may appeal to district court within twenty days after May 31st or from the date that the Board adjourns, whichever is the latest. |