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Assessor debuts property‑tax estimator, warns buyers of tax increases when caps lift
Summary
Washington County Assessor Russell Hill unveiled a QR‑code property‑tax estimator to help prospective homebuyers predict tax bills when Amendment 79 caps end after a sale, and showed examples where new buyers can face steep tax increases.
Washington County Assessor Russell Hill presented a new property‑tax estimator tool to the County Services Committee designed to help homebuyers understand potential tax bills when the protections of Amendment 79 (the property‑tax cap) are removed after a sale.
Hill showed the committee countywide market‑value trends, noting unprecedented growth between 2019 and 2023, and said the assessor’s office created a QR‑code card that links to an online estimator on the county website. The estimator asks prospective buyers for a purchase price and displays a range of likely tax bills based on county‑wide millage rates and variations across neighborhoods. Hill said the tool is intended for realtors and buyers to avoid surprise tax increases when a previous owner’s capped tax benefit no longer applies.
Using side‑by‑side examples of properties on the same street, Hill illustrated how one long‑time homeowner under Amendment 79 can have a much lower tax bill than a recently sold property on the same block; he said new owners may see tax increases of thousands of dollars annually compared with the prior owner’s capped bill. Hill said the assessor’s office plans outreach to realtors and that the tool could become an app for buyers.
Committee members asked questions and extended Hill additional time for his presentation. No committee action was requested; the presentation was informational.
