Lake County holds training for County Board of Equalization, outlines property-valuation and appeals procedures

Assessor Mark Wadsworth led a training session for the Lake County Board of County Commissioners on procedures the panel will follow when acting as the County Board of Equalization (CBOE), including hearing rules, valuation methods and the timeline for issuing determinations.

Wadsworth told commissioners that petitioners and the assessor each will have five minutes to present at a hearing, petitioners may rebut the assessor—s presentation, and the board may ask questions during testimony. He said the board will not issue decisions on the spot: determinations will be completed after the hearing season and mailed to property owners no later than Nov. 3.

The training matters because the CBOE will hear property-value protests that directly affect tax bills and may be appealed to higher review. Wadsworth, who runs the assessor—s office, walked the commissioners through how market data, inspection limitations and administrative rules affect valuations and what evidence the board should expect when it convenes hearings.

Wadsworth described key technical rules the board will use. He said residential values must be based on comparable sales (the market approach), and the assessor used sales from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2024, for the current reappraisal; statute allows examiners to extend back in increments up to five years when needed. He also explained the difference between the appraisal date (June 30, 2024) and the assessment date (Jan. 1) and how partial construction on Jan. 1 can change improvement values for the tax year.

On inspections and evidence, Wadsworth said assessor staff typically rely on exterior observations and public records when access is denied: —A lot of times we don—t get to go inside because it is personal property— and they can deny us access,— he said, adding that external observations taken from a public place are admissible. He described common reasons the office invalidates sales for analysis (related-party transfers, sales that represent vacant land later built upon) and said the assessor will provide the sales lists and property record information the petitioner or board requests prior to hearings.

Wadsworth explained how comparables are adjusted: each sale is converted to an —indicated subject value— after adjustments for differences such as square footage, foundation type and garage area; the median of several indicated values becomes the assessor—s indicated value. To help commissioners, he said he developed a comparables grid (separate from the county—s Tyler system) to show adjustments and how different sales produce a range of indicated values.

During a mock hearing presented in the training, a petitioner identified as Mr. Galfenstein argued "this house is falling apart" and disputed the assessor—s notice of value. Wadsworth used four Leadville-area sales as comparables and demonstrated how adjustments produced a range of indicated values; the median indicated value was the assessor—s stated value for the notice that prompted the protest. The board chair read the hearing script aloud in the mock hearing, explaining the five-minute presentations, the assessor—s five-minute response and the possibility of brief rebuttal.

Wadsworth reviewed appeal avenues beyond the CBOE. He said parties can pursue arbitration through the CBOE process (noting cost is case-dependent and that past practice had costs split but that he would confirm specifics), file with the Board of Assessment Appeals (BAA) at the state level, or pursue district court review in rare, high-dollar matters. He emphasized that if the BAA lowers a value, the county will need to abate overpayments and reconcile tax differences.

On process and administration, Wadsworth told commissioners the hearing is quasi-judicial: evidence is presented on the record, commissioners act in a deliberative role, and final determinations are made after hearings conclude (the assessor—s office will receive the board—s determinations and the clerk will mail notices). He and staff agreed to supply commissioners with the assessment record card and comparables in advance when requested; statute allows petitioners to request assessor materials prior to hearing.

Wadsworth warned that the county—s property database (Tyler) does not present comparables in an adjustment grid, which is why he created the separate comparables display. He also described valuation attributes the system uses (points-and-factor adjustments, treatment of finished vs. unfinished area, and percent-of-area adjustments for decks and basements) and acknowledged the technical complexity commissioners will face during deliberations.

Next steps: commissioners will receive hearing schedules and supporting packets; training materials and recordings will be posted to the county—s video channel after staff processing. Wadsworth invited commissioners to contact the assessor—s office with questions as they prepare for their hearings.