Skyrocketing tax assessments spark residents' ire

Moreau's story is not unique.

"Our property value doubled," said Betty Barnes, a Bingen resident and member of the local City Council. Barnes and her husband Roy own a residential lot in the city.

"Our small lot in Bingen -- just for the land -- went from $20,000 to $40,000," she said.

Barnes said she was concerned about what they are basing the changes on.

"It's hard to spring a doubling of taxes on somebody all at once. A sudden jump like that doesn't quite seem fair," she said. "It's really rough on people, especially right now."

June Barton, a Vancouver resident who owns property on Cooke Road east of White Salmon, said she already pays $2,000 a year in taxes for her 22 acres.

"Our land value went from about $50,000 to more than $96,0000," Barton said.

Adding in the improvements to her land, including the aging two-story house built in 1981, Barton's overall tax assessment jumped from $175,000 to $239,000 in four years.

Barton added that she was surprised to hear that some land owners' assessments doubled in value.

"Doubled! That's insane," she said. "That should be protested, certainly. I was going to protest, and I've never protested taxes."

With sentiments such as these making the rounds, the Klickitat County Assessor's Office has been taking a lot of calls lately.

County Assessor Harold "Van" Vandenberg said the assessments happen regularly.

"Every four years, we do a revaluation of one-quarter of the county. This year, it was the west end -- Trout Lake, BZ, Husum, White Salmon, Bingen," Vandenberg said. "That area has increased in value considerably."

Vandenberg explained that property sales in the area determine what the new assessments will be.

"Sales drive the tables," he said. "We're seeing a three-to-five percent annual increase (in prices for property). Over four years, that works out to be 20 percent. In some areas, the increases were even higher. We try to keep comparative sales as close as we can, and not use sales in Goldendale to value White Salmon."

"Those not aware of what's going on with the real estate market probably got a major shock," said Klickitat County Commissioner Don Struck. "It's a product of a real estate market where prices of land are just skyrocketing."

Struck added, however, that the big jumps in assessments do not translate into a corresponding jump in a property owner's taxes.

"If the tax assessment goes up 100 percent, that doesn't mean taxes go up 100 percent," he said.

It is unclear why there has been a recent upsurge in the area's real estate market.

"There is not one special thing driving the market," Vandenberg said. "It's people from out of town moving here, but also residents upgrading and buying a larger home. We've been discovered."

"There has been a lot of property turnover lately," Barnes agreed. "I've noticed the change in opportunity here. If you put it up for sale, it's basically sold. It seems like things are selling pretty fast. Before, you'd see a `for sale' sign and it would be there forever."

To show how hot the market is in the area right now, Vandenberg described what happened recently when what he described as an "older house" on Wyers in White Salmon went up for sale.

"It was valued at $80,000 four years ago, and the assessors added $50,0000 this year," he said. "That brought the assessment to $130,000 -- but it sold for $175,500. That shows where the market is."

He added that the backlog in appraisals made the change seem even more dramatic.

"It was such a large increase because we were so far behind in appraisals," he said. "When they were not adjusted properly four years ago, now we go back eight years."

Moreau questioned the fairness of the system.

"They said people were paying as much as $117,000 for 20 acres in my area recently," Moreau said. "I guess people have been paying a lot for land around here. But I think the people who buy the land should pay the higher tax rates and leave us alone. Why should I pay more taxes because someone two miles away paid a lot more than I did in 1999?"

Vandenberg said many residents have called his office to question the new statements.

"It created quite a firestorm," Vandenberg said. "The land values were the most controversial. Improvements are pretty straightforward. We look at age, condition, deprecation. Land values are dynamic. But when we talk with people and show the data, they are surprised, but understand it. There have been a lot of phone calls, and we encourage people to appeal if they feel it's necessary for them to do that."

"We're going to have massive appeals this year," said Struck.

Vandenberg said there is a 30-day deadline to appeal the assessments.

"If you have sufficient reason to believe your property value is incorrect, you may appeal the value to the Klickitat County Board of Equalization from the appeal deadline date shown," read an excerpt from the assessment form.

The Board of Equalization's phone number is listed as (509) 773-4612.

Vandenberg pointed out that state law limits tax increases to no more than one percent over the previous tax.

"There will be a slight increase in taxes, but it won't be proportional to the tax assessment increase," he said.

He added that levy rates are expected to go down as a result of the higher valuations.

Vandenberg said he has witnessed a trend of increasing property values, and it has been progressing from west to east.

"I saw it in Skamania County. It started in the west end there and moved east," Vandenberg said. "I anticipate it will continue to move eastward. Already, in Lyle and Klickitat, we're seeing a change in land values, and eventually it will move on to Goldendale and Dallesport and finally to Roosevelt and Bickleton."

Vandenberg shot down theories that a need for more revenues was behind the increased tax assessments.

"None of the taxing districts are driving this," Vandenberg said. "We're not out there to artificially do something. We're following the law and what we have to do. We're just the messenger."

"By state law, the appraisers assess property at market value. The assessor doesn't have any latitude," Struck added.

Barton said the higher values were not necessarily all bad, but it depended on what residents plan to do with their land.

"It's a mixed blessing. If you're into selling, this is a good thing," Barton said. "But if not -- no one wants to pay more in property taxes."