Whatcom County property values are up. Here’s how that impacts your tax bill
Whatcom County property values saw large increases this year, but that doesn’t mean everyone’s taxes will rise at the same rate.
“If your property values went up this year, you will pay more for the state school tax levy,” Assessor Rebecca Xczar told The Bellingham Herald.
School taxes are rate-based and set by the Legislature while other property taxes are budget-based and set by Whatcom County, its cities, and special taxing agencies such as fire-protection districts, Xczar said.
Home values increased by an average 15% to 18% across Whatcom County, but some areas saw a much steeper increase this year, Xczar said in an Oct. 12 presentation to the County Council’s Finance and Administrative Services Committee
“Residential values increased in some areas pretty significantly overall — between 8% and 27%, depending on the area,” Xczar said.
Value of commercial properties increased or remained stable this year, with the exception of the BP and Phillips 66 refineries, which saw their value drop 17%.
“A lot of their value is market-driven and last year was a different year for them” as the price of oil plummeted worldwide amid the new coronavirus pandemic, Xczar said.
That decline in value could seriously affect the budgets of Whatcom County Fire District 7 and taxing agencies in Blaine, she said.
Assessed annually
By state law, the value of all residential and commercial properties must be assessed annually.
Xczar’s office sets a value and maintains a listing and description of properties — it doesn’t set the tax rate or collect taxes.
Tax rates for the county, cities and special taxing districts are still being decided by those agencies.
Valuation notices were mailed Oct. 8, and owners have 30 days to file an appeal.
Only about one-sixth of Whatcom County is inspected physically every year, and the rest is based on a statistical estimate, Xczar said.
This year, physical inspections were conducted on the Lummi Peninsula, north Lake Whatcom, and the Bellingham neighborhoods of Birchwood, Cordata, King Mountain and part of Alabama Hill, she said.
Appeals must be filed with the state Board of Equalization and not with the Assessor’s Office.
“My office does not handle the appeals (but) property owners are encouraged to speak with us, especially with the appraiser that appraised their property. A lot of things can be adjusted,” Xczar said.
Highest increases
The highest valuation increases — 18% to 27% — were seen in Sumas, Everson, Nooksack, Maple Falls and Glacier, she said.
“Some of those areas saw zero change last year — there weren’t enough sales,” Xczar said.
Ferndale saw increases of 8% to 18% and Lynden valuations rose 12%-13%.
Central and south Bellingham, where physical inspections were conducted last year, saw valuations rise 8% to 18%.
And the value of new construction increased 49% over last year, she said.
The county treasurer mails property tax bills in February for payments that must be paid and postmarked by April 30 and Oct. 31.
This story was originally published October 23, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
