Packwood resident says assessed value jumped to $1.5 million, files appeal with assessor

Debbie Reeser, a Packwood resident, told the Lewis County commissioners on Jan. 14, 2025, that her 7.5‑acre property’s assessed value rose sharply in recent years and that an appeal she filed remains unresolved. "My property value has increased ... and this year it's assessed at $1,500,000," Reeser said during public comment, adding that the lot had been assessed at about $325,000 in 2020 and that she had not made significant improvements.

Reeser said she bought the property in 1979, renovated structures over decades, and operated short‑term rentals beginning in 2000. She said rising assessments and property taxes are making it difficult for long‑term residents to remain in area homes. "I'm concerned that these property tax increases are going to force long term residents out of their homes," she told commissioners, saying the increase would be "unsustainable." She said she filed an appeal with the assessor’s office and had not yet received a response.

Reeser said she examined parcel records and noted that some downtown businesses had not seen similar assessment increases and that, in some cases, assessed values were below recent purchase prices. She provided written material to be added to the public record and asked for commissioner assistance in understanding the assessor’s process.

The county acknowledged receipt of her written statement for the record and staff indicated they would ensure the assessor’s office received a copy. Reeser provided a detailed account of the property's history and income uses; commissioners and staff did not offer a resolution at the meeting but took her written materials for the public record.