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Residents voice concerns with assessor's contract |
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Wednesday, 19 December 2007 |
Jennifer Larson
Times Staff Writer
If there was one thing the residents made clear at the Forest Lake City Council workshop, it’s that they want a local assessor. The council met on Dec. 11 to discuss extension of the Washington County Assessor contract with the city.
Several citizens sounded off their complaints with the county office, citing poor treatment from assessors to lacking knowledge of the local market.
Resident Kris Martin presented a petition signed by a number of people in the community that are asking the city not to renew the contract with Washington County. She said people feel intimidated, are being charged unreasonable property values and assessors are unapproachable.
Martin feels the education that assessors have is minimum. She would like to see the program revert back to the way it was at one time – a local assessor hired by the city.
Resident Gerald Peltier said he doesn’t feel the issue is really the land value. Going down to Stillwater is too far, Peltier said. And it’s impersonal, he added.
“I still feel that it should be localized,” Peltier said.
New Contract
Mayor Stev Stegner reminded the audience that the workshop was not being held to discuss property values but the new contract proposal.
The council did not take action on the proposal but will do so during a special meeting on Dec. 21 at 5:30 p.m.
Two changes to the contract were the length of time from three years to four as well as a decrease in the cost to the city over the previous contract.
The base fee for the new contract is around $90,000 compared to $94,000 for the current contract ending Dec. 31, 2007.
County’s Response
Director of Assessment and Taxation Kevin Corbid fended off attacks, noting responses from surveys sent to residents where an interior review was done came back very favorable for the county.
He said everyone should be handled professionally and fairly. The county rates very high with the state, Corbid said.
He feels that they are making decisions based on current data. Corbid said Washington County is physically reviewing each property every five years per state law.
Reviews are having to be done quicker due to the pace of the market, he said.
Corbid said that if residents don’t like their valuation, they should call and make an appointment to speak with an appraiser. He noted that sometimes, corrections result in higher or lower values.
“The only way to do it is to have those individual conversations,” Corbid said.
Appeal Process
The payable 2008 taxes are equated from values set on each property as of January 2007, which are based on sales during Oct. 1, 2005 to Sept. 30, 2006.
He said there is an appeal process, and owners are encouraged to attend the Open Book and Equalization meeting on April 28, 2008.
Corbid said if they don’t appeal to the local board, they can’t appeal to the county.
Resident Tim Mansmith said he was attending the workshop on behalf of his father Russ. He said Russ, owner of Mansmith’s Christmas Tree Farm in Forest Lake, was treated unfairly and very poorly at the county board during an appeal.
“I’ve never seen my father so upset,” Mansmith said.
He thanked the city for backing them with green acres when the county did not. Mansmith is also concerned with a letter received stating that the farm is a business and could be subjected to additional taxes due to a little shop/store on site.
“I am very concerned they’re not looking at the full picture,” he said.
Assessor Position
Jeff Satzigner will continue to be the main residential appraiser, which Corbid said is good for consistency.
“We believe Jeff does a nice job,” he said.
Resident Richard McNamara said Jeff handled three parcels for him and was very professional.
“Thirty years, we always had our own (assessor),” McNamara said, “and what happened? I don’t know – that’s immaterial now.”
City Administrator Chip Robinson explained that for a number of years Forest Lake had a local assessor but due to the size of the community and quick growth, there was a concern that he could not handle it.
So the council made a decision to hire Washington County to perform value assessments.
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