Island County Assessor’s News Brief – 2010 Change of Value Notice

The Assessor’s Office is mailing the 2010 Change of Value Notices about 9 days later than last year after overcoming some computer challenges and a deep cut in staffing.  The good news is the computer challenges should be a thing of the past after this year.

Island County experienced a decrease in value of more than 12% for the 2010 assessment year (2011 tax year), the largest decrease ever observed.

Remember, public office hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.   Please try to have patience with our reduced staffing.  You must file any appeals to the Board of Equalization (BOE) within 30 days after the mailing date on the face of your notice.  Forms and Instructions are available online or from either the Board of Equalization or the Assessor.

Property owners who have an open permit or have added any new construction since last year will not receive a value notice until September.  We hope to save money by mailing each property owner only one notice instead of two, one in June and an additional new construction notice in September.

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Island County News Brief – 2010 Change to True Automation™

Island County reached an important technological milestone Monday. The Board of Island County Commissioners approved a contract with True Automation, Inc. for computer software installation, training, maintenance and support to replace outdated property assessment and taxation systems used by the Assessor’s and Treasurer’s offices.

Island County Assessor Dave Mattens was joined by former county assessor Tom Baenen, Whidbey government watchdog Bill Strowbridge, and representatives of the real estate industry, Jason Easton, Christina Parker and Todd Bitts, to applaud Board adoption of the fully integrated property tax and assessment package, originally budgeted at $799,165 but now expected to cost $700,000 with $100,000 of that covered by a state grant. Everyone agreed it is long overdue.

Mattens, who vowed to improve technology in the Assessor’s office when he ran for office in 2006 and has been working for three years to make it happen, shared credit for the accomplishment with Island County Treasurer Linda Riffe, her chief deputy Ana Maria d. Nunez, who is a candidate for Treasurer this year, project manager Cathy Caryl , and former Island County Assessor Tom Baenen, “who fought hard for about a decade to make today’s event a reality.” Baenen pointed out that current staff levels in the Assessor's office are the same as they were 15 years ago, underscoring the need for technology tools to meet today’s mandates and expanded population.

“We have worked hard to find the most reliable, efficient, cost-effective product available on the market that would be a good fit for Island County,” Mattens added, referring to a thorough cost-benefit analysis of property tax and assessment systems on the market.

In addition to the current Board of Commissioners – Helen Price-Johnson, Angie Homola and John Dean -- Mattens thanked two previous Island County Commissioners, Mac McDowell and Phil Bakke , who joined Commissioner Dean in approving the budget for this program before the two left office.

The outdated existing computer system used a series of computer programs, one originally written in the 1970s for a Burroughs® mainframe computer, to calculate values, administer exemption programs and calculate levy rates and taxes. Most of it was translated into a Windows platform in 1998 with few enhancements, but some of the functionality was lost due to changes in computing platforms and equipment. The old program included multiple databases, one of them composed of 32 complex interactive spreadsheets containing millions of individual codes and symbols.

Prior audits by Department of Revenue and State Auditor’s Office criticized the software programs and spreadsheets, warning they are highly susceptible to errors, easy to make but difficult to detect.

Island County will be the 10th of Washington ’s 39 counties to use True Automation products. The new software makes all data publicly available on-line and produces complete reports for hearings, state agencies, and levy calculations almost immediately, rather than requiring weeks or months, Mattens said.

The new Assessor and Treasurer’s Office computer system follows on the heels of a new Sungard countywide accounting system, approved and budgeted for several years ago and finally in the implementation stage this year, through the leadership and coordination of Budget Director Elaine Marlow, Auditor Sheilah Crider, Deputy Auditor Anne LaCour, Central Services Assistant Director Diana Vaughn, and Human Resources Director Larry Larson.

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Island County Assessor’s News Brief – 2009 Change of Value Notice

This has been another year of making significant strides in catching up on the property tax schedule. I am mailing the 2009 Change of Value Notices this year on June 1. This is 25 days earlier than last year and months earlier then in years past. Like before, this accomplishment is due to the commitment and professional pride every staff member in my office holds.

There are a number of items I want to share with property owners that relate to this year’s Change of Value Notices . 1) There will be a 30-day appeal period; 2) Property owners with any new construction or open permits should not receive a ‘Notice’ (with few exceptions) until late August; 3) A reminder that our office hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; 4) Effective June 1, another 7% staffing reduction goes into effect plus furloughs for two staff managers; 5) Some areas will see significant increase (yes, despite the perception people have about the housing market here in Island County) because of equalizing areas; and 6) unincorporated improved property owners will be receiving an additional notice from the Health Department. Let me expand on these six items.

This past February, I sent a news release announcing restoring a 30-day appeal period. In that article I explained why the appeal period changed to 60 days and why it didn't work to reduce the workload in the assessor’s office. It actually ended up extending the workload, not reducing it. The important things to know about appeals are that there are two forms to file. Form ‘A’ needs to be filed within the 30-day appeal period. This requires five pieces of information: name, address, reason for appealing, what your estimate of value is, and a signature – that's it. Then, Form ‘B’ needs to be filed, which is your defense of estimated value. You have up to seven working days prior to your scheduled hearing to file this form.

The second item deals with reducing the confusion for property owners that have new construction or open permits. Last year folks with new construction received two notices; one in June and another in September. This affects a much smaller population of people. I estimate 2400 new construction permits this year compared to 3400 last year.

Next I want to remind citizens that public office hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This will allow my appraisers to answer messages and return calls in the early morning and late afternoon, while visiting with tax payers during the middle of the day.

Four, please try to have patience with our reduced staffing. Coincident with mailing notices on June 1, the additional 7% reduction in staffing becomes effective. This is in addition to the 10% reduction my office experienced earlier this year.

Some areas will experience significant increases in real property value due to equalizing areas. Every year some property values increase while other decrease. My ultimate goal is to treat everyone fairly and equitably. To do so, appraisers must take the steps necessary to ensure that any inequities they discover are addressed and remedied.

Finally, all owners of unincorporated, improved property, i.e., outside of city limits or for property with a home on it (not vacant), will receive a news letter from the Health Department regarding septic system inspections. By allowing the Health Department to piggy-back on the assessor’s mass mailing, I was able to save the county over $10,000 in postage expenses. This decision was a result of “thinking outside the box” in ways we can save money in these difficult economic times.

Preliminary calculations show an overall decrease in real property value of approximately 3.7% for the 2009 assessment year. Last year the average increase was about 4.8% and 15% in 2007. These numbers conform to the general market downturn, bearing in mind that housing markets are always local.

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Island County Assessor’s News Brief – Revaluation of Property

A new revaluation cycle begins this month , October, 2008, and appraisers will be in the field conducting physical inspections of real property. According to Chapter 84.41.030 RCW, the county assessor shall cause taxable real property to be physically inspected and valued at least once every six years.

Our county is divided into six areas. This year physical inspections will be conducted in Area 4, which is most of South Whidbey Island . It includes neighborhoods and surrounding vicinities around Langley and Clinton. This appraisal period is for the 2009 assessment year for taxes payable in 2010. Island County is an annual county, meaning that all real property is listed and assessed every year with reference to its value on the first day of January (RCW 84.40.020).

Chapter 84.40.025 RCW allows appraisers access to all real property. Any real or personal property shall be subject to visitation, investigation, examination, discovery, and listing at any reasonable time. If you believe you have unusual or extraordinary circumstances that would prohibit inspection, please contact our office to make special arrangements.

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Island County Assessor’s News Brief – Revaluation of Property

A new revaluation cycle begins this month , October, 2008, and appraisers will be in the field conducting physical inspections of real property. According to Chapter 84.41.030 RCW, the county assessor shall cause taxable real property to be physically inspected and valued at least once every six years.

Our county is divided into six areas. This year physical inspections will be conducted in Area 4, which is most of South Whidbey Island . It includes neighborhoods and surrounding vicinities around Langley and Clinton. This appraisal period is for the 2009 assessment year for taxes payable in 2010. Island County is an annual county, meaning that all real property is listed and assessed every year with reference to its value on the first day of January (RCW 84.40.020).

Chapter 84.40.025 RCW allows appraisers access to all real property. Any real or personal property shall be subject to visitation, investigation, examination, discovery, and listing at any reasonable time. If you believe you have unusual or extraordinary circumstances that would prohibit inspection, please contact our office to make special arrangements.

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