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For the week of July 19 through July 25, 2000 |
County decides property tax appeals
Scoreboard: 22 farmers, ranchers get relief; six appeals rejected
"Any time you have a change in the tax laws there’s a shift
in the tax base."
Valdi Pace, Blaine County Assessor
By KEVIN WISER
Express Staff Writer
For the year 2000, the Blaine County Commissioners, acting as the Board of
Equalization, heard 48 appeals from taxpayers who disputed their property assessments.
Each year, the board measures property assessments made by the county
assessor’s office against claims by property owners that their land was assessed
above its true value.
The board then decides whether to uphold the assessor’s calculations
or reduce the appellant’s property valuation.
Of the 48 property tax appeals filed this year, 28 came from south county
farmers and ranchers.
According to Blaine County Assessor Valdi Pace, the property tax increase
that sparked the south county dispute stems from the county’s decision to implement
an updated state Tax Commission measure affecting valuation of south county property.
That measure—Tax Rule 165—defines land actively devoted to
agriculture. South county property owners disputed the way in which homesites or
"that portion of land contiguous with but not qualifying as land devoted to
agriculture" was figured in the assessed value of south county property.
According to assessor Pace, the south county was under-assessed in
previous years which shifted the tax burden to the north part of the county. The intent of
the updated tax law, Pace said, is to provide a fair and equitable tax throughout the
county.
"Any time you have a change in the tax laws there’s a shift in
the tax base," Pace said.
Of the 28 south county appeals, six of the county’s assessments were
upheld and the remainder were reduced, some substantially.
Despite the reductions, however, south county appellant Ed Stricker said
the majority of farmers and ranchers "didn’t like what they got," since the
final assessments still reflected a sharp increase compared to last year.
The following is a list of south county appellants, the county
assessor’s valuation for their property and the Board of Equalization’s final
decision:
- Bud Purdy; $301,728 to $300,000.
- Nick Purdy, parcel 1, $363,751 to
$60,976; parcel 2, $326,133 to $165,672.
- Ed and Jeannine Stricker; $138,356
to $120,000.
- Scott & Cindy Smith; $153,094
to $140,000.
- Jerry Croce; $153,315 to $130,000.
- Robert and Betty Logan; $143,595 to
$140,000.
- Paul and Lynn Ramm; $153,329 to
$130,000.
- J.O. and Mary McDowell; $157,125 to
$138,000.
- John Molyneux, parcel 1, $73,144 to
$63,144; parcel 2, $62,570, assessment upheld.
- William Molyneux, parcel 1;
$62,570; parcel 2, $84,988; parcel 3, $84,960, assessments upheld.
- Mary Ann Knight; $136,003 to
$76,003.
- Harold and Dorothy Drussel;
$104,750 to $79,750.
- Mike Harris and Pepin Corso-Harris;
$142,125 to $135,000.
- Wesley J. Foster; $107,837,
assessment upheld.
- Janet and Rodney Bolich; $250,000
to $200,000.
- John Flood; $365,155 to $190,155.
- Paul and Earlene Gibbs; $150,000 to
$130,000.
- Richard Preissman; $200,000,
assessment upheld.
- Tom O’Gara; $530,930 to
$335,930.
- Harry Rinker, parcel 1, $351,785 to
$176,785; parcel 2, $310,611 to $135,611.
- George and Shannon Brown; $301,100
to $150,000.
- Joan Duggan; $153,375 to $130,000.
- Greg and Cindy Mann; $160,999 to
$142,000.
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