Montezuma County assessor reports $78 million rise in taxable real property value
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Summary
The county assessor briefed commissioners on preliminary property valuations showing increases concentrated in residential and building values, changes in vacant-land classifications, and an 8% drop in Kinder Morgan personal property production.
The Montezuma County assessor (name not specified in the meeting record) reported preliminary increases in real property valuations that will affect tax calculations for fiscal year collections.
The assessor said overall real-property values increased by about $78,000,009.82 (speaker-provided figure) and that, using the current county general mill levy, the increase translates to roughly $836,000 in additional revenue to county general (speaker phrasing). The assessor attributed much of the change to residential sales and an increase in building values; vacant-land values changed as the office removed agricultural classifications from parcels that did not return ag verifications.
The assessor told commissioners that vacant land had a number of out-of-state large-parcel sales where buyers reported hunting use and did not respond to ag letters, so the office removed ag classifications and issued notices of value. The assessor said parcels must have documentation of an agricultural operation to retain an agricultural classification and associated valuation treatment.
On mineral and personal property, the assessor said Kinder Morgan production and declared personal property values were down about 8 percent compared with last year but said final personal-property numbers were not yet available. The assessor said final certification will come in August and offered to return with finalized numbers once personal-property values are complete.
The assessor recommended proactive public outreach to explain changes before tax bills arrive, suggesting weekly taxpayers’ information sessions in September to explain how notice-of-value and new statewide assessment rates translate into tax bills. The assessor said the state’s residential assessment-rate changes will increase school district-related tax calculations and that residents often focus on the tax bill rather than the notice of value.
Commissioners and staff discussed protest timelines tied to notices of determination and the certification calendar; the assessor said entities then have 15 days to submit notices to the county board of equalization (CBOE) after determinations are issued.
No formal action or vote was recorded during the discussion; the assessor said outreach plans would be revisited after final certification in August and when personal-property numbers are complete.