Polk County Board of Equalization approves late-exemption review, adopts updated property values amid taxpayer protests

The Polk County Board of Equalization met July 9 in Osceola and unanimously approved two motions: a waiver allowing the County Assessor to consider a late exemption application from Swede Home Methodist Church, and adoption of updated 2024 property values for a list of parcels identified after the county abstract was submitted to the Property Tax Administrator.

Chairman Jerry Westring called the meeting to order at 9 a.m., the board approved the minutes of June 27, 2024, and Westring informed attendees that a current copy of the Open Meetings Act is posted in the meeting room. The board then reviewed a letter from Svehla Law Offices asking that the assessor be permitted to consider an exemption application filed after the Dec. 31, 2023 filing deadline; the application presented to the board is dated May 24, 2024. Board member Boruch moved to approve the requested waiver; Boss seconded. The roll call vote was Boruch, aye; Boss, aye; Westring, aye.

Afterward, Assessor Krance presented a list of properties determined to be overvalued, undervalued or omitted for assessment year 2024. Chairman Westring moved to approve the updated values for all parcels on the assessor’s report; Boruch seconded and the roll call vote was Westring, aye; Boruch, aye; Boss, aye. The board directed that valuation change notices be sent to the affected property owners.

The meeting included a block of public testimony from property owners who had filed valuation protests. Numerous residents said their leasehold interest for structures on leased lake lots now is being given a value that appeared in the land-value section on valuation-change notices; those residents said treating the leasehold interest this way produces what they consider double taxation because they also pay taxes on the lots through annual lease payments to lake owners. Several attendees questioned the legal basis for taxing a leasehold interest on private property. Other protesters challenged increases tied to the county’s reappraisal of rural building sites, arguing some older buildings, bins and rural residences were overvalued compared with comparable properties in their areas.

There was no recorded further formal action on the protests during the meeting; the board adjourned at 12:35 p.m. The County Assessor will send valuation change notices to owners of parcels whose assessments were altered, and the assessor is now authorized to consider the Swede Home Methodist Church exemption application that was filed after the statutory deadline. No final determination on that exemption was recorded in the minutes.