Routt County OKs alternate protest period for 2025 property reappraisal

Routt County commissioners voted April 8 to adopt the alternate protest and appeal schedule for the county’s 2025 property reappraisal, a change county Assessor Gary Peterson said will give staff and taxpayers more time to prepare and review valuation protests.

The alternate timeline shifts the assessor-level decision window later and lengthens the period for appeals under Colorado Revised Statutes §39-5-122.7, Peterson told the commissioners. He said the change would extend the assessor-level decision period from roughly a few weeks to about six weeks and push Board of Assessment Appeals (CBOE) hearings into a fuller two-month window, giving county staff ‘‘time to treat each appeal with the time and consideration that it really deserves.’’

Peterson, joined at the dais by Deputy Assessor Davana Robson, outlined staffing strain after the 2023 reappraisal, when the office fielded more than 2,450 assessor-level appeals and ran two hearing officers five days a week for several weeks. He said the 2025 reappraisal should produce fewer appeals — he estimated a return to roughly 800 appeals in a typical cycle — but that the shortened timeline introduced by recent statutory changes made workload management difficult.

Why it matters: Under the alternate procedure counties notify the state Division of Property Taxation and local judicial and appeals bodies and are then able to extend the assessor-level decision window and move CBOE hearings into a later, longer period. Supporters said the change reduces the likelihood of rushed hearings, ensures petitioners receive fuller consideration and reduces staff burnout.

Commission discussion centered on whether the CBOE schedule would accommodate the change. Peterson said county staff and hearing officers had discussed scheduling and that the alternate plan would allow time to tally appeals, then schedule hearings so appraisers and petitioners can prepare. County staff said the county must notify the Division of Property Taxation by May 1 and inform the Board of Assessment Appeals and the district court of the change.

The board voted to approve the assessor’s request. Commissioners did not record a roll-call tally in the published minutes; the motion passed and staff were instructed to complete the required notifications and filings.

Peterson also described market patterns underlying the reappraisal: uneven, “pockets” of increases by property type and geography, strong land and high-end luxury market gains in some areas, and fewer comparable sales overall than in 2023. He explained the county uses a two-year sales collection period for most reappraisals to reduce seasonal bias and to increase data for value-setting.

Looking ahead: Peterson said the county will treat the change as a trial run for 2025 and must request the alternate procedure each reappraisal cycle if it chooses to continue using it. He and staff said they will monitor appeal volumes and timing and report back if problems arise.