Several residents from Packwood and Glenoma told the Lewis County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 7 that recent property-assessment increases are large, unexplained and creating financial hardship for retirees on fixed incomes.

Rob Mericle, who said his analysis used Lewis County parcel data, told commissioners commercial assessments have been relatively flat since 2022 while residential assessments rose an average 71% and short-term-rental assessments rose about 160% over that period; he reported larger percent increases since 2020 (residential +196%, short-term rentals +277%) and provided charts to commissioners. Mericle asked why his county portion of the tax bill rose 16% when he had been told the county could increase levy revenue only 1% year over year.

Lisa Stevens, a Packwood resident, said her land value rose 329.4% in five years and her total assessed value rose 129.3%, while she had made modest improvements (a $50,000 garage) that she said do not explain a $322,500 increase in improvement value. She said the new EMS levy and an upcoming school levy compounded her concern and said the timing of assessments and levy votes makes it difficult for taxpayers to evaluate impacts.

Mary Prophet, a Glenoma resident, said her assessment increased by $90,000 in the current year and by $153,000 the prior year, and that the new assessed value exceeds recent Zillow sale-price estimates by about $80,000. She said comparable properties she reviewed were substantially lower in assessed value.

A commissioner responded that the 1% limit refers to the levy rate (the taxing district’s rate), not assessed value changes, and offered to meet with individual residents after the meeting. Another commissioner asked that the assessor’s office provide a representative at county meetings between now and the distribution of tax statements so residents can raise questions directly.

All three statements came during the meeting’s public-comment period; commissioners did not take formal votes on assessment policy at this meeting. Residents said they had appealed or planned to appeal assessments and asked for clearer documentation of how valuations were calculated.