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Council approves 5% citywide assessment increase, OKs two parcel reductions
Summary
Jackson City Council accepted the County Assessor’s recommended 5% citywide valuation increase for 2026 assessments to bring the sales ratio into state compliance and unanimously approved two individual parcel value reductions; an appointment was set to inspect a resident’s home.
Jackson’s City Council on April 7 voted to accept changes recommended by Jackson County Assessor Karla Nordquist that raise the city’s 2026 assessed values by 5% and to approve two individual property value reductions.
At a Board of Appeal and Equalization session preceding the regular meeting, Assessor Karla Nordquist explained Minnesota’s mass-appraisal process and the sales-ratio study (Oct. 1, 2024–Sept. 30, 2025) the county uses to measure whether assessed values align with market sales. Nordquist said the state requires sales ratios between 90% and 105%; Jackson’s citywide sales ratio of about 88.95% was just below that range, prompting a conservative 5% increase that the Assessor’s Office applied to reach roughly 92.79%.
Nordquist also described limited qualified commercial sales countywide and said staff applied a larger 12% commercial adjustment where warranted. She told the council the county’s total estimated market value rose from about $5.028 billion in 2025 to $5.120 billion in 2026 after changes across the county.
The council approved two specific parcel adjustments that Nordquist presented. Parcel No. 23.223.0020 will decrease in assessed value from $116,700 to $68,000 (a $48,700 reduction) after an appraiser cited poor exterior condition. Parcel No. 23.200.1750 will be reduced from $45,400 to a land-only value of $6,900 after staff recorded a previously undocumented interior fire; the new buyer alerted the Assessor’s Office on April 7 and an appraiser inspected the property.
Council members moved (motion: Peterson/Foster) and voted unanimously to approve both reductions. The council also voted unanimously (motion: Foster/Peterson) to refer a separate property’s square-footage discrepancy to the County Board so county staff can take time to re-measure the structure.
Resident Joseph Pritchard asked about an increase in his taxes; Assessor staff agreed to inspect his property and scheduled an on-site visit.
The Board of Appeal and Equalization portion of the meeting closed at 5:40 p.m., and the regular council meeting continued.
