Douglas County amends course on late tax-exemption filing for Prince Hall Grand Lodge

The Douglas County Board of Equalization voted on Dec. 9 to amend its recommendation and approve a late tax-exemption application from the Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, overturning an earlier recommendation to deny the filing and removing a proposed assessment increase.

Assessor/Register of Deeds Mike Goodwillie told the board that resolution C and resolution D were linked: if the board upheld a recommendation to deny the late application (resolution D), the county would add value for the parcel under resolution C. Goodwillie said the county had proposed a $6,500 value for a parking lot tied to one property and described estimated tax figures and state credits. He also said the exemption application was submitted about six months after the statutory deadline and that the assessor’s office had sent multiple reminders without receiving a response.

Commissioner Borgeson asked whether a timely application would likely have been approved; Goodwillie said it probably would have been. Commissioner Rogers moved to amend item D to approve the late filing rather than deny it; the motion to amend passed 7–0, and the board then approved the amended main motion, also 7–0. The board’s action effectively removed the need to enact the value addition in resolution C.

The board did not record any additional conditions attached to the approval during the public discussion. The Assessor’s office provided the valuation rationale in the meeting but did not supply a written explanation for the delayed filing in the hearing record.

What’s next: The action finalized the board’s recommendation on the listed resolutions; no further votes on these two linked items were taken during the meeting.