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Walsh County auditor uploads state list of primary-residence credits amid concerns some parcels may not be residential
Summary
Auditor staff submitted a list of primary-residence-credit abatements after state House Bill (SB 2201) retroactively expanded the credit; staff said the state supplied parcel lists that included trusts and parcels that appeared to be nonresidential, but commissioners approved the abatements pending further state review.
County auditors submitted an updated set of abatements to the Walsh County Commission May 20 after the state passed Senate Bill 2201, which backdated the primary-residence credit for certain parcels.
The auditor said the state tax commission supplied a list of parcels to receive the credit and that county staff had a rapid deadline for accounting and submission. Staff reported they reversed payments, recreated bills and reapplied payments to meet the state’s upload deadline. The auditor said the county’s original upload covered about 1,800 parcels and that the smaller list returned by the state included about 63 trusts or trust-associated parcels that had not yet received the credit.
During review, county auditors found some parcels on the list that appeared to be commercial properties or farmland with no residential structure, which raised concerns about whether the state had fully vetted the lists. The auditor said she did not have the time or resources to audit all 1,800 parcels and that the state has primary responsibility for the program; she said the state tax commission told counties to be generous and that the commission had determined the attached trust parcels qualified for the credit.
Commissioners discussed the risk of applying credits to parcels that may not be residential and whether counties should return lists to the state for further vetting. Despite questions, a motion to accept and sign the abatements submitted by the state passed on a roll call vote (one commissioner voted no). The county will issue refunds to qualified taxpayers once payments are received from the state.
The auditor said she would notify the tax commission of the county’s findings and asked the state to review any parcels that do not appear to be residential; commissioners asked staff to track and report any instances that appear incorrect for follow-up.
