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Kootenai County assessor flags 2012 transfer of Cabela's parking lot to city; says county will reassess use
Summary
Kootenai County Assessor Bayla Kovacs told Post Falls City Council that a 4.11-acre parcel — described as the southern parking lot of a large retailer — was deeded to the city in February 2012 and that the assessor’s office will review the parcel’s tax status.
Kootenai County Assessor Bayla Kovacs addressed the Post Falls City Council during the citizens’ comment period on Oct. 7 to raise a property-tax issue involving a 2012 deed transfer of a 4.11-acre parcel — described on the record as the southern parking lot adjoining a large sporting-goods retailer — to the City of Post Falls.
Kovacs said the parcel was deeded to the city in February 2012 and that the county assessor’s office only recently discovered the deed in the public record while preparing for mediation in an unrelated assessment lawsuit. She said the deed transfers the property from the retailer to the city and raised questions about the “quid pro quo” and the benefit to the city for taking ownership.
Kovacs told council she calculated what she described as unpaid property-tax amounts tied to the parcel: at one point she referenced about $87,000 “if you add up the property taxes that have not been collected for each of those years from 2012 to the present,” and later said “adding that up, it’s a total of about $350,000 in taxes.” Kovacs said the assessor’s office will review the parcel’s assessment and consider whether the property should be treated as taxable given state law’s focus on actual and functional use for assessment purposes.
Council members said the issue should be handled through staff-to-staff channels and asked the assessor to coordinate with city staff and the city attorney. Council President Malloy noted the parcel was discussed in earlier conversations as set aside for a potential future park-and-ride for CityLink and that the city had retained the parcel for future transportation use; staff said the city believes the parcel is currently part of a planned future public use. City Attorney Field Harrington said staff would examine the legal background and potential implications and that he would coordinate with county counsel.
Council members emphasized that because the matter draws in county litigation and budget consequences, it would be appropriate to handle through formal staff channels and possibly place the subject on a future agenda after city and county staff have coordinated. Kovacs acknowledged she could have used a different procedural channel but said she wanted the council’s attention on the matter. No council action was taken at the meeting.
