Board to equalize Island property values

The Wahkiakum County Board of Equalization announced Wednesday evening a plan to update property values for Puget Island land parcels.

The board annually hears appeals of property assessments, and, when Islanders received their assessments in 2010, the board had 170 appeals. Normally, the board has around 20 appeals, said Chair Nick Nikkila, and so the board decided to look at the assessments.

They found a hodgepodge of value classes set by an appraiser who retired in early 2010, Nikkila said, and neither the new appraisor nor board members were able to comprehend the system.

Therefore, Nikkila said, the board created a data base of 80 sales and used them to create a new set of value classifications. They checked them against values calculated by new Assessor Bill Coons and are preparing to send letters to landowners telling them their adjusted appraisal.

Nikkila said they had to use the appraisals effective January 1, 2010, for buildings and improvements because they didn't have funds to hire their own appraiser. However, using the sales data, they were able to adjust the overall property value.

About 50 people attended the meeting Wednesday evening to hear the presentation of the plan. Some offered suggestions for adjustments in the value classes, and Nikkila said the board would consider those suggestions.

The adjustments will be for 2011 assessments for property taxes payable in 2012. State law doesn't allow them to apply the adjustment to a previous year.

The adjustments will be applied to 729 valuations, Nikkila said. Of them, 510 will go down; 202 will go up, and 17 will be virtually the same.

Persons whose appraisals increase have 30 days to file an appeal with the Board of Adjustment.