Bannock County Board of Equalization upholds three property assessments, remands one for reinspection

Bannock County’s Board of Equalization on Friday heard several property assessment appeals and voted to uphold three assessor valuations while sending one case back to the assessor for reinspection and follow-up.

The Board — meeting as the county’s Board of Equalization — upheld the assessor’s recommended values for multiple parcels after presentations from property owners and staff. The board remanded a separate appeal for further review after the appellant and county staff identified a substantial discrepancy in the property’s reported square footage.

“The purpose of the Board of Equalization is to hear property assessment appeals and to ensure that all assessments are fair, equitable, and in accordance with Idaho State law,” a county official told appellants at the start of the hearing, citing “Idaho section 63 dash 5 0 2.” The official added, “We are not here to discuss taxes.”

In one appeal, Michael Cady testified that his assessment rose sharply. “I recently built a home about 2 years ago, and ... when I got my assessment this year, it went up a $130,000,” he told the board. The assessor’s office responded with comparables and recommended a final assessed value of $1,034,064…