Newton County appraisers outline changes to assessment notices, appeal deadlines under House Bill 581

Marty Kennard, Newton County chief appraiser, and Veronica Hardy, assistant chief appraiser for the tax assessor's office, told residents the county’s annual notice of assessment will no longer include an estimated taxes-due amount and explained how property owners can review and appeal valuations.

The change matters because the notice shows the county’s assessed fair-market value for each property and is the starting point for filing an appeal. "When you receive that assessment notice, please look at it. Look at the value that's on there," Kennard said. Residents have a limited window to contest the value if they believe it is incorrect.

Kennard and Hardy said the notice will continue to show the previous-year value, the new fair-market value and any exemptions, but will not display an estimated tax amount. Instead, property owners will see an estimated rollback rate on the notice. "Just please know the main thing we need for you to know is to look at the value, and that's the main thing that the tax assessors is responsible for, your value," Hardy said.

They walked through how to check the county’s records and supporting data. Property owners can review details such as heated square footage and bathroom count on the Newton County QPublic website and compare recent sales in their neighborhood. "You can visit our Newton County Q public website to review that information," Kennard said. The appraisers recommended talking with real estate agents and reviewing neighborhood sales to determine whether the listed value reflects what the property could sell for.

The presenters described filing options and deadlines. Property owners have 45 days after the annual notice is mailed to file an appeal, Kennard said. Appeals may be filed online via the Newton County QPublic site, by submitting a written letter (postmarked by the deadline), or by visiting the tax assessor’s office in person to meet with an appraiser. "You can do that online. You don't have to come into the office. Although, we welcome you to come into the office. We have appraisers there," Hardy said.

Kennard explained the review process after an appeal is filed: staff will examine the appeal and either adjust the value or forward the case to the Board of Equalization, which Kennard described as "a neutral board appointed by the grand jury." If staff makes a change, property owners will receive a new notice with the revised valuation and then have 30 days from that new notice to file an appeal of the revised value. "If we need to make necessary changes, we'll do that at that time," Kennard said.

They also summarized a statutory change they said affects the post-appeal tax freeze. In prior years, Kennard and Hardy said, appearing before the Board of Equalization could result in a three-year freeze of the assessed value regardless of whether the board lowered the value. Under House Bill 581, they said, the assessed value must be lowered by the board for a taxpayer to become eligible for that freeze; if the board lowers the value, the freeze would apply for that year and two additional years. "House bill 5 81 has changed that. You're no longer able to get that freeze just by showing up for the board of equalization hearing," Hardy said. "The board of equalization would actually have to lower the value for you to get that freeze now."

Kennard and Hardy urged property owners to review notices promptly and to contact the assessor’s office before the tax bill is issued, because the right to appeal is tied to the assessment notice and cannot typically be exercised once taxpayers receive the tax bill. "Once later in your tax bill is received, at that point, you've exhausted your rights to file an appeal," Hardy said.

They closed by encouraging residents to use available resources and to meet with staff for questions about specific properties. "We're here to help you with all of this stuff," Hardy said.