Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Assessor Report topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dickinson assessor reports 7.7% jump in assessed values; board prepares follow'up after owner appeals
Summary
City Assessor Scott Dickinson told the Dickinson City Board of Equalization that total assessed value rose about 7.7% from 2025 to 2026 and recommended the roll be accepted; owners of large commercial and multifamily properties asked for income-based reviews and more time to submit financials.
Scott Dickinson, Dickinson's city assessor, told the Board of Equalization on April 15 that the city's true and full valuation rose from roughly $3.346 billion for 2025 to about $3.602 billion for 2026, a 7.7% increase, and that taxable valuation increased from about $157.9 million to $168.9 million (about 7.5%). Dickinson said the assessor's ratio study still left the city below the state's target range on medians for some property classes (commercial roughly 86.4%, residential about 88.5%). Dickinson recommended the BOE accept the roll as presented so the city could meet state certification deadlines.
Why it matters: Dickinson said the ratios must fall between 90% and 100% of market value under North Dakota law, which helps explain this year's across'the'board adjustments. The change affects the baseline on which future levies and exemptions are applied and prompted multiple property owners to seek corrections before the roll is finalized.
At the hearing, several property owners and their agents challenged large assessment changes. Aranda LaFortune, general manager of Prairie Hills Mall, said the main mall parcel was assessed at $14,786,900 for 2026 even though the property sold in April 2024 for $9,870,700 and an independent appraisal at refinancing valued it at $10,950,000. "I am formally appealing the 2026 assessed value of $14,786,900," LaFortune said, and requested the board consider market evidence and income data she can supply.
Dickinson and commissioners discussed valuation methods and offered an income'approach review if owners provide three years of income and expense records. Dickinson said income'based valuation is a national standard for income'producing property and can be quicker than owners expect once the required documentation is provided. He also noted that independent appraisals used for lending can differ from mass appraisal outputs but are useful evidence.
The board declined to decide immediately on large commercial requests and directed owners to meet with the assessor's office and, where necessary, prepare formal abatement hearings. The BOE scheduled a follow'up meeting to consider additional adjustments before the county certification deadline.
The board also reviewed the statutory standards governing its authority, citing North Dakota Century Code 57'11'07 and 57'11'04 on equalization, notice and correction procedures. The BOE and assessor urged taxpayers to meet with staff before hearings and to provide appraisals, federal filings, or other income documentation to support income'based valuations.
What happens next: The board set a continuation meeting in late May and advised owners to work directly with the assessor's office; unresolved appeals may proceed to county or state review if not settled locally.
