Commission asks staff to investigate cabin valuation protest at Red Willow Lake

A Griggs County property owner filed a written protest of the county’s 2025 valuation for a cabin at Red Willow Lake, and county commissioners asked staff to investigate the assessment history and comparables before taking any action.

Staff member Maddie presented the applicant’s written protest and told commissioners the petitioner had applied in writing and resubmitted documentation this year after receiving the tax statement. Maddie said the homeowner contended the assessed value was high compared with other cabins on the lake.

Commissioners asked Jamie, the county attorney, to review the statutory process and advise what notice or findings the county must provide if it rejects an application in whole or in part. Commissioners also asked county staff to contact Linda Morris (assessor or assessor’s office contact as referenced) to determine when the cabin was last formally reassessed and to pull comparable sales and assessments for nearby lakeshore cabins.

No formal vote on the protest was taken at the meeting. Commissioners directed staff to gather assessment files and comparables and to return with recommendations and timeline for next steps.

The commission’s action was administrative: staff and the county attorney will investigate the protest and report back to the board; any formal change in valuation would follow the county’s statutory process and be documented in a future meeting.

The commission requested that findings include the last assessment date for the property, comparisons to similarly situated cabins at Red Willow Lake, and any township assessor records relevant to the parcel.