Concerned about your 2019 Whatcom property taxes? This might soften the blow
For those wondering what their 2019 property tax bill will look like, it’s a good news/bad news situation.
Let’s start with the good news: While the final 2019 tax rate has not yet been finalized, it is shaping up to be lower in much of Whatcom County compared to 2018. The state school levy is expected to drop, along with maintenance and operation levies in local school districts, said Keith Willnauer, Whatcom County Assessor.
The drop will vary by school district, but it some areas it should be dramatic, Willnauer said in an email.
Now the not-so-good news, at least when it comes to overall property tax bill: Whatcom County homes values have risen around 10 percent this year and that is being reflected in the new assessed values recently sent out to property owners in Whatcom County. For property owners who have a higher reassessed value, that could wipe out the decrease from the lower tax rate.
The property value increases were entirely market driven from a recent sale transaction analysis, Willnauer said, adding that most residential homes countywide had between 10 percent to 15 percent appreciation. According to data from the Federal Housing Finance agency, year-over-year home values in Whatcom County appreciated 11.4 percent in the first quarter, 13.1 percent in the second quarter and 9.9 percent in the third quarter.
For those who want to challenge the new assessment, they have until 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 26, according to Alan Elzea of Property Tax Advocates. Elzea, who helps people through the appeal process, said in an interview with The Bellingham Herald he’s already had a lot of inquiries, probably because of the jump in assessed property value. Common successful appeals include situations where something is incorrect in a valuation, such as an incorrect building detail or an undeveloped property that is valued at being developable when that is not possible.
For some, appealing the assessed value of property is becoming more common. Whatcom County resident Mark Aamot said in an interview with The Herald that he’s owned various property locally since 1972 and didn’t file his first appeal until 2007. He’s filed two more appeals since and plans to do so again this year. For the first three appeals, he said he was successfully able to get his assessed property value reduced.
“I feel like the little people are being crushed,” Aamot said, adding that he is on a fixed income.
Property owners in Whatcom and across the state were hit with increases in 2018. One of the biggest reasons for the increase was the McCleary decision, which ordered Washington to fully fund public schools. In Whatcom County, a property with an assessed value of $250,000 saw an increase of around $280 just from the McCleary decision.
For details about assessed value and property taxes, call the assessor’s office at 360-778-5050 or email assessor@co.whatcom.wa.us. To contact Elzea, call 360-920-3777 or email alan@taxlowered.com. Elzea says he only collects a fee if he successfully lowers the property tax for a client.
This story was originally published December 16, 2018 at 5:00 AM.
