County sees decline in assessment challenges

We are now finished with the assessment and appeal period for the 2008 property assessments.

There are more than 43,000 parcels of property in Bonner County and we had 123 taxpayers who appealed their assessment to the Board of Equalization.

This is an appeal rate of .0028 percent which is the lowest in the last several years. Some of those taxpayers had more than one parcel but there were still only 123 people who appealed. Of those 123 appeals, 88 percent of the assessments either made initially by our office or adjusted up or down by our appraisers at the hearings were upheld by the board.

Our gratitude goes out to the Selkirk Multiple Listing Service for its cooperation in granting us access to sales data in exchange for electronic access to our records.

This type of agreement is now approved and supported by the Idaho Association of Realtors and will serve as a model for the entire state.  

As I have always said, I do not agree with the current method in Idaho of assessing property at market value each year. I do know, however, that the system we must use is more fair and equitable if we have good market and sales information.

Our legislators and others have tried for the last two years to pass a cap on assessed values and I support those efforts. They will once again, present such legislation and any support we can give them will help bring about a more predictable assessment system.

Moving on, we have finally been able to have the State Tax Commission provide training to our staff in the Pro-Val computer system and we are entering a  program to fully implement that system for all properties. It will provide for an even more fair and accurate method to value property.

Soon, the appraisers will be back out in the field to start inspecting properties and gathering data for the 2009 assessments which will come out next June.

In studying the sales so far in 2008 we are seeing a decline or stabilization in real estate values with the possible exception of commercial real estate.

If this downward trend for most properties continues throughout the rest of the year we will see corresponding reductions in assessed values next year. It is our job to reflect the market and if the market and corresponding prices for particular categories of properties goes down then that will be reflected in the assessments.

We have a great staff  and are constantly training and studying the market in order to better serve the taxpayers of Bonner County.

Thank you again, for the opportunity to serve as your Bonner County assessor.