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Amador County assessor reports modest assessment gains, warns of slow housing growth
Summary
County Assessor Jim Rooney presented the annual assessment report showing a roughly 3% increase in assessed value for 2026‑27 (Prop 13 annual cap 2% plus sales effects), total assessed value about $7.28 billion and slow new‑home construction; Rooney said this was his final presentation before retirement.
Jim Rooney, Amador County assessor, told the school board the county’s 2026‑27 assessments rose roughly 3% year‑over‑year — a change he attributed to the 2% Prop 13 automatic increase plus some sales resetting assessments on recently sold properties.
"This year, Amador County, the assessments went up just about 3%. That's really not very much," Rooney said, and added that the state‑mandated maximum annual adjustment was 2 percent. He said the county’s total assessed value for the tax roll is about $7.28 billion and that unincorporated areas account for roughly 68.6% of assessed value.
Rooney reviewed housing data for trustees: about 8,244 single‑family residences countywide, with Ione and Jackson holding the largest shares by city. He highlighted a decline in primary residences and a generally slow pace of new‑home construction (examples: 55 new homes in the most recent year versus higher counts in prior years), and urged local engagement in planning and water discussions tied to growth.
Trustees asked whether non‑primary residences (rentals, short‑term rentals) produce different tax outcomes; Rooney explained assessments are based on purchase/build events and taxed at 1% of assessed value, and that the assessor's office does not always track whether a property is used as an Airbnb or as a permanent rental. Rooney also announced his upcoming retirement and introduced his successor, Jeff Hemmelman.
