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Williams County commissioners unanimously deny Menards 2023 assessment abatement
Summary
The Williams County Board of Commissioners denied a 2023 tax abatement request filed by Ryan LLC on behalf of Menards Inc., after the county assessor presented on-site measurements and cost adjustments showing the county's valuation should stand.
Williams County commissioners on Dec. 8 denied an abatement request for the Menards store in the county, supporting the assessor’s valuation for tax year 2023. The board voted unanimously after hearing the assessor’s presentation and a staff recommendation to deny the appeal.
Christy Gutierrez of the Williams County assessor’s office told commissioners the county’s assessment for the property was $29,801,430 for 2023, while Ryan LLC — representing Menards Inc. — requested an evaluated value of $20,885,000, a difference of $8,946,730. "Our assessment for the property for 2023 was $29,801,430," Gutierrez said, and she summarized field measurements and a site visit conducted Nov. 14 that, she said, showed county square-footage figures were accurate and would be increased next year.
Gutierrez told the board that the valuation packet from Ryan LLC understated both square footage and improvements. She cited items the appellant’s packet excluded or undervalued — an elevator, truck well, overhead doors, a coffee shop in the parking lot and a lumber storage facility — and said contractors’ cost estimates and local engineer figures suggest the appellant’s lump-sum numbers were too low. "They've given us a base lump sum of $500,000 for the entire amount of asphalt around that building, which comes out to a dollar and 26¢ a square foot," Gutierrez said, contrasting that with recent local estimates and noting some building elements are typically assigned longer useful lives in cost manuals.
Gutierrez also noted the City of Williston reviewed the appeal on Nov. 25 and "voted unanimously to deny it," and she recommended the county commission reach the same conclusion. A commissioner moved "to support our staff and also deny this request," the motion was seconded and then carried by unanimous roll call.
The board’s action formally rejects the Ryan LLC request to lower Menards’ 2023 valuation. No public commenters spoke on the item during the meeting. The denial preserves the county’s assessed value for the property pending any subsequent appeal rights the taxpayer may exercise.
