County assessor briefs council on property valuation, senior exemption and net levy rules

Skagit County Assessor Danny Hagen briefed the Anacortes City Council on March 10 about the state’s budget‑based property tax system, the county’s reinspection of the Anacortes School District, and outreach on the senior and disabled‑person property tax exemption program.

Hagen said Washington’s system constrains taxing districts’ budgets and allows assessed values and levy rates to float to meet that budget; since about 2004 the state has limited taxing districts to roughly a 1% regular increase plus new construction unless voters approve an extra levy lid lift. “The only way a taxing district is allowed to increase their budget past that 1% is by going to the will of the voters for, for a levy lid lift,” Hagen said.

Hagen reviewed the change‑of‑value notices residents received last fall: overall residential values in the Anacortes School District rose about 6% year over year, with some neighborhoods near 10% and some areas down slightly. He said the district’s inspection program covered about 13,700 residential parcels and nearly 3,000 commercial and industrial parcels, plus the county’s island properties (Sinclair, Cypress, Guimas and others) and that the assessor’s office is using more street‑view and lidar imagery to improve inspection efficiency and limit intrusions on property owners.

Hagen described the county’s senior and disabled‑person exemption program, noting the current income threshold is $48,000 (adjusted every three years) and that medical‑expense deductions may qualify additional applicants. He urged outreach and enrollment: “My office wants to hear from you. We do have a online portal that you can start submitting your information from home. And even if it's not complete, our staff will reach out… The goal of my office is to get you into the program if you are qualified.” He said county staff are working to expand outreach (bilingual staff and presentations at the senior center) and that legislative changes are under discussion to adjust income thresholds.

Council members asked for clarification on how often values are issued (once per year), whether reassessments can occur mid‑year (generally no, except to correct errors), and whether the office can do more printed outreach to seniors; Hagen said he would pursue a dedicated flyer added to the change‑of‑value notice. Councilmember Walters noted that enrollment in the senior exemption in Anacortes also triggers a city utility discount (30%), which increases the program’s local value.

Hagen said he will continue outreach and offered to present on valuation methodology, disaster response, and vertical equity work the county has done to evaluate parity in assessments across different value ranges.