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Council approves Assessor’s property‑valuation and maintenance plan; county valuation tops $1 billion
Summary
The council unanimously approved the assessor’s annual property valuation and maintenance plan. Staff reported net taxable value passed $1 billion in 2024 and that sales‑ratio testing shows valuations are accurate and uniform.
The Los Alamos County Council voted unanimously to approve the Assessor’s 2025 property‑valuation and maintenance plan, a state‑required annual report used to guide assessment work ahead of the budget process.
Key takeaways: Assessor staff reported they appraised roughly 9,300 parcels in 2024, including residential, mobile homes and business personal property, and said the net taxable value for the county exceeded $1,000,000,000 for the first time, reflecting a year‑over‑year increase of about 6% and an additional 4% growth in the 2025 preliminary values.
Assessment accuracy and process: The assessor’s sales‑ratio study shows the county’s valuation models are well calibrated and meet state standards for assessment level and uniformity. “The main takeaway from this study is that 100% of our properties in Los Alamos have been assessed accurately, fairly and equitably,” Lucas Fresquez of the Assessor’s Office said in the presentation.
Protests and outreach: Property owners receive annual notices and are encouraged to contact the assessor’s office within 30 days to resolve valuation questions; formal protests extend the review window to 180 days. The assessor said most protests are resolved informally and withdrawn after mutual agreement. The assessor’s office also noted increased public outreach needs to explain the assessor’s role, which is valuation for tax purposes rather than setting tax rates.
Vote: Councilor Reedy moved to approve the valuation and maintenance plan; the motion was seconded and the council approved it unanimously by roll call vote (7–0).
Ending: Council accepted the plan and asked staff to continue education about exemptions and appeals processes during the upcoming budget cycle.
