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County assessor reports 2025 valuation increases; 668 real property protests, 303 adjustments
Summary
Assessor Sarah Enders told the Board of County Commissioners the countywide assessed valuation rose for most property classes in 2025; real property protests totaled 668 (303 adjusted, 364 denied, 1 withdrawn). Personal property protests were minimal but 184 accounts failed to file declaration schedules.
Sarah Enders, San Miguel County Assessor, presented the county board of equalization valuation report July 9, reporting year-over-year changes in assessed values and the status of taxpayer protests.
Enders told the commissioners the countywide percentage changes in assessed real property values as of July 1, 2025 included: vacant property up about 25.5%, residential up 21.7%, commercial up 32%, industrial up about 71% (from a small base of roughly 12 accounts), agricultural down about 4.5%, and natural resources down about 1%.
Enders said producing mines had no 2024 accounts, and that oil and gas real property values rose roughly 90% because a local producer returned to normal production after a bankruptcy-related drop in 2023. For personal property (equipment), she reported declines across many categories, noting personal property is treated with depreciation rather than market value.
On appeals and protests, Enders said the county received 668 real property appeals: 303 were adjusted, 364 denied and one withdrawn. For personal property, Enders reported one protest received after the June 30 postmark deadline that was denied. The assessor also reported 184 personal property accounts failed to file a declaration schedule; 123 of those were oil and gas accounts tied to a single operator. For failure-to-file penalties the assessor noted a maximum fine structure and that the county has imposed the full $3,000 maximum against that operator for unpaid schedules.
Enders noted state-assessed values (utilities, railroads and similar) are not included in her report and will be finalized in August. She also said the assessor's office will move to second-level appeals (county board of equalization hearings) later in July; hearing officer assignments and dates were shared.
Commissioners asked whether the proportion of protests adjusted this year was typical; Enders replied it varies widely by year and adjustments can reflect classification or description changes rather than large value shifts.
No action to accept or adopt the report was required; the assessor delivered the statutory report and commissioners thanked staff for the work.
