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York County board upholds most assessments, lowers one motel valuation after owner appeal
Summary
The York County Board of Equalization reviewed multiple property protests, upheld most assessor recommendations and adjusted at least two contested valuations: a commercial property was set at $3,103,325 and a motel owner’s building value was reduced by applying $16.77 per square foot (total ~ $280,728). Protesters were told they have 30 days to appeal to TERC.
At a meeting of the York County Board of Equalization, the board heard more than a dozen property protests, approved most of the assessor’s recommendations and adopted two prominent changes that could affect local tax bills.
The board voted to set the assessed value of a commercial property (parcel 930179013) at $3,103,325 after staff applied square‑footage rates drawn from nearby comparables and averaged them; a motion to adopt the figure was made by a committee member and carried on roll call. Staff told the board the assessment combined a land value of $205,100 with a building value derived from averaged square‑foot metrics.
The meeting also featured extended testimony from two property owners about sudden, large increases in improvement values and the consequences for renters. Mike Murphy, who said he owns the 24‑unit Greenbrier Apartments in York, told the board that a doubled assessment would “force rents up” and urged phased adjustments rather than a single large increase. Rakesh Pai, who identified himself during the hearing and said he owns motel/rooming properties, pressed the board to explain why improvement values on his parcel rose from about $61,000 to roughly $319,000, calling that movement “a 500% jump on improvements” and asking for time to supply local comparables or a private appraisal.
After reviewing local sales and square‑foot comparisons — including the York Side and Y Motel properties discussed on the record — the board moved to equalize one contested motel valuation to $16.77 per square foot (the figure proposed to align the property with a local York Side comparable). That change produced a building value of about $255,608 and, with land left unchanged, a total assessed value near $280,728. The motion was seconded and approved in roll call. Staff reminded property owners that they have 30 days from the date of the decision to file an appeal with the Tax Equalization and Review Commission (TERC).
Beyond those items, the board took up a long list of routine protests — accepting assessor recommendations on several commercial accounts (including larger parcels such as Cottonwood Metals and a Walmart account), dismissing at least one protest for an incomplete form, and placing several complex accounts on a list for additional appraisal work. Staff also presented an over/under report of clerical corrections (for example, removing a non‑existent deck from a property card and correcting building ages) and the board approved those technical changes, with one commissioner abstaining from a vote on a parcel he owns.
The meeting record shows the board focused repeatedly on the limited set of local comparables available for some property types and on the statutory requirement to reappraise on a regular cycle; staff noted that gaps in timely county appraisals can cause abrupt changes when a property is re‑valued after several years. Members and owners repeatedly urged more frequent, proactive outreach so large jumps are less likely.
The board’s actions are procedural assessment decisions, not tax levies. Affected property owners who disagree with the board’s rulings were told how to request additional data, to seek help with the county’s new public assessment system and to pursue appeals to TERC within the statutory appeal window. The meeting adjourned after the board completed the agenda.
