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Assessor's office fields public confusion on Prop 13 vs. Prop 8; offers training and outlines appeal counts
Summary
An assessor's office appraiser and county staff described how Proposition 13 and Proposition 8 rules interact, urged calm, and said the office will provide outreach and training after an influx of property tax appeals and calls from residents.
An assessor's office employee urged residents and elected officials on April 8 to stop spreading incorrect information about property tax rules and offered to provide training on how Propositions 13 and 8 are applied.
Michael Ballard, who identified himself as an appraiser with the assessor’s office, said recent public statements by board members and others had prompted residents to contact the office in anger and confusion. ‘‘As an appraiser, I’m allowed by law to put only two numbers down on a piece of property when I’m doing appraisal. It is the lowest of fair market value or Prop 13, one of the two,’’ Ballard said, adding that changing those numbers improperly would be fraud. He said the assessor’s office had been receiving hostile calls and urged neighbors and officials not to ‘‘incite’’ taxpayers to contact the office.
Later in department reports, county staff described the status of Prop 8 (decline in value) and Prop 13 (base year/value cap) reviews in the county. An unnamed assessor’s office staff speaker provided counts: about 2,245 properties reviewed for declining value in 2024 remain under Prop 8 and will receive full appraisals this year; 44 appeals were filed recently with 25 resulting in declines in value; 441 1D forms (requests for information) were issued to property owners to document appeals and are due within 30 days. Staff said some owners who were placed back on Prop 8 will be reviewed again in 2025 as part of annual reviews.
The assessor’s staff said they had sent withdrawal forms to property owners and received only a few responses; if information requested is not returned in 30 days the assessor can request an extension that could lengthen the appeal timeline but not indefinitely. The office said owners may request appraisals and that property owners can contact the assessor for copies of appraisal records.
Board members asked whether zoning changes would prompt revaluations for abutting parcels; staff replied they would examine such issues if and when lot line adjustments or other property changes occur and would apply obsolescence or other valuation adjustments only where factually warranted.
Ballard and assessor staff urged calm and offered educational outreach. Ballard said he would personally provide a training session outside the meeting if the board or community requested it. The board asked staff to agendize a future discussion so the issue could be presented in depth in open session.
No formal board action was taken on property‑tax rules during the April 8 meeting; the assessor’s office noted that many of the appeals and Prop 8 status items would be handled administratively under existing law and the county’s appraisal process.
