Board of Equalization sets plan to adjust Island tax assessments

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 appraiser 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 Assessor Bill Coons, who took office January 1, 2011, 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.

In an email on Tuesday, he said the board had amended some of its classifications to reflect the Islanders' comments.

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 to property valuations have been calculated for 762 parcels, Nikkila said Tuesday. Of them, 553 will go down; 180 will go up, and 29 will be virtually the same.

Persons whose appraisals increase have 30 days to file an appeal with the Board of Adjustment. Persons dissatisfied with that appeal may appeal to the state Deparment of Revenue appeals officer.

Nikkila made the presentation in a Power Point presentation. People wanting a copy of the presentation may email Nikkila at ussuomi@wwest.net. People with questions about the process may contact Colleen Haley at (360) 465-2174 or email chaley4boe@yahoo.com.

The valuation process became a subject of discussion at Tuesday's meeting of the board of county commissioners.

Little Island resident Blue Trott commented that the Wednesday meeting hadn't been well publicized and she wondered if the board of commissioners would be involved. She added that for the people whose assements are increased, the first appeal is to the Board of Equalization, which made the adjustments.

Board Chair Lisa Marsyla said she, too, had many questions about the process, and she had arranged a meeting with Nikkila on Wednesday to go over the process.

"I don't have an answer--do we as a board have to approve it?" she said. "They're appointed; I would assume we would have to approve it."

Nikkila disagreed.

"The commissioners do not have approval authority over the equalization results," he said late Tuesday. "As I understand it, the assessor could appeal the results to the Board of Tax Appeals (BTA). I would only foresee that in the instance where he might believe the valuations do not reflect the true and fair market value of the properties on January 1, 2010."

Assessor Coons attended the Wednesday hearing.

"I'm really happy this process is moving us closer to equality and fairness," he said. "The board has worked really hard to do this.

"If someone wants to litigate this, I suppose they could. I think you (board of equalization) are on very solid ground, though."