Wayne County equalization report shows 4.86% rise in values; board recesses to April 30
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Summary
Wayne County’s director of assessment reported a 4.86% increase in both assessed and taxable values for 2026—about $22 million in new taxes—prompting the commission to meet statutorily today and recess to April 30 to complete the technical equalization work and Ways & Means review.
Scott Van Amerigo, Director of Assessment and Equalization for Wayne County, told the commission on April 14 that county assessed values—used to approximate market values—appreciated 4.86% this year and that taxable values showed the same 4.86% increase. Van Amerigo said the identical percentage corresponds to roughly $22,000,000 in new taxes for the county and described the figure as a deceleration from prior years’ double-digit gains.
Van Amerigo said the county had only just received the last municipality reports required to complete auditing and that staff would compile an executive summary and technical report in the coming weeks. Because the statutory equalization deadline falls on the meeting date, the board complied with the requirement by convening and then recessed the meeting to April 30 to allow time for committee review and final adjustments before a full-board approval vote.
Chair (identified in the record as the presiding officer) said the April 30 meeting will include the Ways & Means committee report and pledged to return the full equalization package then. Van Amerigo emphasized the purpose of the recess: to give staff time to vet assessments and to provide commissioners and committees adequate time to review the detailed analysis.
The commission took no final equalization vote at the April 14 session; staff committed to deliver the written executive summary and a full technical report ahead of the April 30 reconvening. The commission recessed and scheduled a brief full-board session on April 30 for final action.
