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Local equestrian raises concern over assessor reclassifying properties from agricultural to ag/commercial
Summary
An equestrian-boarding operator told commissioners the assessor reclassified his property from agricultural to ag/commercial, which he said could increase his annual taxes by about $25,000; commissioners noted the assessor is an independent elected official and advised direct appeals.
Dan Michaels, owner and operator of Rabbit Mountain Equestrian Center, told the Board of County Commissioners that his boarding and training operation has historically been assessed as agricultural and that recent reassessments treated it as ag/commercial, which he said could raise his taxes by approximately $25,000 per year.
Michaels cited Title 39 of the Colorado Revised Statutes to describe the definition of agricultural/ranch land and said his operation meets that definition. "The assessor reassessed us in 2023 ... we were considered an ag property," Michaels said, and asked the board to reconsider or advise how to prevent the reclassification.
Commissioners clarified that the assessor is an independent elected official who must apply state statute and that property owners should work directly with the assessor's office and its appeals process. A commissioner suggested Michaels contact the assessor's office directly and pursue appeal options; no board action was taken to alter assessments.
Sources: Public comments by Dan Michaels and commissioners' responses at the Dec. 4, 2025 BOCC meeting.
