Derek Wharf, Yamhill County assessor, told the Board of Commissioners on Oct. 16 that the countycertified total assessed value for the year is just over $29,000,000,000 and outlined workload, staffing and technology changes in his office.

Wharf said the office conducted about 3,900 field inspections for new construction and another roughly 5,200 inspections for reappraisal during the valuation cycle, putting staff on approximately 10,000 properties over the last year. "We put employees on 10,000 properties this last year," he said, describing the volume of outreach and inspection work.

The assessor noted appeals activity remains low compared with his earlier years in the office. He said local appeals to the property valuation board were small this cycle — nine appeals advanced to the property tax appeal board — and that the office recently defended a magistrate-division trial. Wharf also discussed a separate, high-profile tax-court case involving Lowe whose outcome could affect hundreds of millions of dollars in tax collections; he said that, conservatively, about $600,000,000 in taxes are at stake from last yearappeals and that figure could rise as parties continue appeals.

On tax collections and distributions, Wharf said the office processed about 47,695 tax payments last year and distributed roughly $177,000,000 to 53 taxing districts. He projected distributions this year will rise to about $189,000,000 and noted the county now has 54 taxing districts after a new urban renewal district for the city of Dayton.

Wharf described land-use and development trends affecting valuations: permit volume and new construction have slowed in some jurisdictions, reducing upward pressure on the roll, though he said larger projects under way could offset that trend. He said McMinnville has inventory constraints and that multifamily and hotel projects will contribute to value in coming years.

The assessor announced operational and technological changes. A new GIS department launched July 1, with the countymaps portal (yamhillcountymaps.com) deployed this summer as a central repository for geospatial boundaries and data. Wharf said the GIS work has included digitizing fire district and school district boundaries and work with the clerk's office to digitize precincts. "Now we've got digital representation, like an authoritative data source to say these are the boundaries of the districts," he said.

On personnel, Wharf said the assessment and tax office remains lean: his unit's FTE count rose to 20 from 19 after adding a GIS coordinator and internal promotions but he pushed back on a Department of Revenue staffing-model recommendation that would have raised the office to 25 positions. "We developed tools around filling spaces at what other counties are using bodies for," he said, adding he did not believe the county needed five additional employees.

Wharf also summarized several projects and funding efforts: a CAPA application seeking state funding for assessment work; a joint RFP with Clackamas, Lane and Wasco counties to explore a new appraisal-and-tax software platform; and continued work on long-term capital needs tied to the Government Services Building.

Commissioners and staff praised the assessor's office for outreach, the move into the Government Services Building and the new GIS capacity. Wharf advised residents to review their tax statements and to contact the assessor's office with valuation questions. "If you have a concern, reach out to our office. That's what we're there for," he said.

Ending: Wharf said he expected no abrupt market shift before Jan. 1, 2026 (the valuation date for tax year 2026-27) but will continue to monitor permit volumes and market conditions that affect the roll. He described the office's priorities as improving data, protecting collections and maintaining service to taxing districts and residents.