Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Tax topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Assessor: County's assessed value rose to $771 million but new state rule will cut a slice for many homeowners
Summary
The Rio Blanco County assessor told commissioners the county's assessed value increased to $771,021,930 through May but said a state law will remove 10% of the first $700,000 of a residential property's actual value, complicating tax calculations for homeowners; commissioners received explanations of protests, state-assessed values and software timing issues.
The Rio Blanco County Board of Commissioners heard an assessor's review of the 2026 assessment rule on July 7, during which the county's total assessed value through May was reported at $771,021,930, up about 6.7% from the December certification.
The assessor (speaker 8) said this increase reflected gains in oil and gas values and other factors but cautioned that a state law passed in recent years will remove 10% of the first $700,000 of residential property's actual value before assessment. "That will take off 10% of the first $700,000 actual value," the assessor said, noting she could not immediately calculate the exact tax effect because that depends on assessment rates and each taxing district's mill levy.
Why it matters: the county's reported assessed value drives tax calculations across multiple taxing districts. The assessor explained that while an example $700,000 home would show a $70,000 reduction in taxable value under the 10% rule, how that change flows to a homeowner's tax bill depends on the assessment rate applied to the property and whether districts (notably school districts) use different assessment rates.
The assessor also walked commissioners through appeal activity: real property saw four protests this year (three satisfied, one denied); 14 personal-property protests led to 10 adjustments, one satisfied and three denied; and the county will mail notices of determination on the 10th. She said the county has 2,925 improved properties with dwellings; 77 building values exceed $700,000 (mostly concentrated in one school district and a few in Rangely and RJT3 school districts).
The assessor flagged technical and timing complications as well. State-assessed values for utilities, pipelines and other multi-county properties arrive after August 1 and are set by the state, meaning final county totals can change when state data are received. "We don't even receive it from the state till August 1," the assessor said, explaining the store-and-forward timing for state-assessed rolls. She also described software challenges with the Tyler system and said the vendor is developing an oil-and-gas module to ingest production data; until system fixes are reliable, staff will track some items manually.
Commissioners pressed for clarity about how the 10% reduction translates to taxes. One commissioner noted: "Percent is the value, not the tax," highlighting that a lower valuation does not automatically produce a proportional tax cut because assessment rates and mill levies also matter. The assessor agreed, saying the change is "confusing" to taxpayers and depends on district-by-district math.
What the board did: after discussion the board voted to approve the assessor's review of the 2026 assessment rule.
What comes next: the assessor will send certified values when available, update commissioners after the state data arrive in August and continue to monitor system fixes and the effects of upcoming reappraisals next year.
