Board approves 5% assessment increase for Douglas Howard property at 600 East Main

The Davis County Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals on Aug. 14 set the assessed value for 600 East Main, owned by Douglas Howard, at $296,520, following assessor presentations and a request by Howard for a lower figure.

Douglas Howard said he has lived at 600 East Main since 1995 and described the house as a large, older building with mechanical systems dating to the 1930s and limited modern upgrades. "I've lived there the whole time in 1995," Howard said, describing the residence's age and the cost of needed updates.

County appraiser Kim/Grant Murray presented nine sales of comparably sized properties from 2024 and calculated an average near $74 per square foot, which supported a market-indicated value in the low $300,000s; assessor staff recommended $300,500 but the board adopted a motion to apply a roughly 5% increase from the prior year, setting the final assessed value at $296,520. Murray cautioned that an interior inspection would be required to form a more precise opinion of condition and value.

Board members noted the 5%-plus threshold places a higher informational burden on the assessor to explain large changes; the assessor presented sales and condition reasoning and the board voted to accept the assessor's data-driven case at the 5% level. The motion carried unanimously.