Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Tax Valuation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Steele County approves 2026 valuations and sets June 30 deadline for farm-exemption filings
Summary
At a June 2 Steele County tax equalization meeting, staff reported increases to replacement costs and submitted county assessment ratios to the state; the board approved 2026 valuations and a policy that adds $300,000 in building valuation for farm-exemption applicants who miss a June 30 filing deadline.
Steele County tax officials voted June 2 to approve the countywide valuations for 2026 and to require owners previously claiming farm exemptions to file by June 30 or face an additional $300,000 building valuation on their property.
Casey, a county staff member presenting the equalization report, said the primary residence credit — a $1,600 reduction — had 389 applications filed with the state and 372 approved, up from 348 last year. "That was 1,600 bucks off your tax bill. We had 389 were filed and 372 were approved," Casey said.
Casey also reported 41 homestead credits, for which the state reimbursed about $33,000, and 31 veteran credits — the most veteran credits he had seen — amounting to roughly another $33,000 in reimbursements.
On county valuation adjustments, Casey said he did not change land values after a drop in the agricultural figure but applied a 5% countywide increase to replacement costs for residential parcels to keep taxable values low while staying within state tolerance. "All I did was a 5% increase," he said, adding that the county must remain within a 90%–100% ratio for commercial, residential and agricultural valuations. Casey reported commercial at about 90%, residential about 95%, and agricultural about 99% and said he submitted those figures to the state with their assistance.
Casey warned that short-term market anomalies could shift future agricultural values: the county uses data from North Dakota State University and the Natural Resources Conservation Service and bases values on a 10-year running average. He said recent COVID-era sales have distorted short-term prices and could push values higher in coming years.
The meeting focused heavily on farm-exemption administration. Casey said he mailed 259 farm-residence credit applications but had only received 148 back by the start of equalization meetings and that he would stop routine mailings going forward. He announced a firm filing deadline: "Those that are not turned into my office by June 30th will have an additional 300,000 valuation increase placed on their property as [a] residential structure," Casey said, describing that valuation as applying to buildings such as bins and houses. He estimated roughly 104 applications remained missing and said, on average, the additional valuation would add about $3,500 to a parcel's annual tax bill and would bring in approximately $350,000 for the county.
Following the presentation, the board moved and approved the valuations as presented. Perry moved to approve the 2026 valuations; Chris seconded, and the motion carried (the transcript does not record individual vote tallies). The board then moved and approved the farm-exemption policy with the June 30 filing requirement; Perry again moved and Brandon seconded, and the motion carried.
Casey described outreach efforts: notices posted online and in the local paper, township officers contacting residents, and a Facebook post; township assistance and an individual named Janna were cited as helping with announcements.
The meeting concluded after members moved to adjourn.
What the action means: property owners who previously used farm-exemption status should submit the required forms by June 30 to avoid a sizable increase in assessed building value. The board approved the valuations and the filing-deadline enforcement measure at the meeting; the transcript does not record any formal appeals or dissent that altered either vote.
