(Bannock County Assessor’s Office, July 14, 2023)
Our newsletter is a little late this month because we’ve been busy getting through the appeal process and the Board of Equalization.
We asked that people bring their questions and concerns about their property assessments to our office. I’m proud to say that my staff and I helped more than 500 people in our office, either in person, by phone, or by email. Whew! From those conversations, we were able to come to an agreement with most of you, and only about 150 people formally appealed their properties to the Board of Equalization.
If your property’s assessed value was adjusted during conversations with my office or if you did appeal to the Board of Equalization, you will receive a letter within the next few weeks to notify you of the changes that were made or if the value was upheld.
If, after receiving your notice of action letter, you still don’t agree with the assessed value, you still have options. You can get an application from the Bannock County Clerk’s Office to file for an appeal to the State Board of Tax Appeals (BTA). If you choose to file with the BTA, you will receive a packet with information that outlines the appeal procedures to follow. Then, in the fall, the BTA will schedule hearings in the county courthouse for those who appeal. The BTA sends a hearing officer to record the hearings, which includes both the appellant and the Assessor’s Office. Then the recording is taken back to the board for a decision. Typically, the BTA’s decision to uphold the value or make an adjustment is announced in the spring. To learn more about the Board of Tax Appeals, I have included the link to their web page: https://bta.idaho.gov/
We are now in the process of doing our year-end reports to show final values, which is known as the Abstract. These reports will be sent to the State Tax Commission for review. After the values are reviewed and certified, and the taxing districts’ budgets are set, the tax levies will be calculated and set by the County Clerk.
Even though Assessment Drive and Board of Equalization went smoothly this year, we always try to find ways to improve our processes and improve customer service. We will be starting the 2nd year of our five-year plan for 2024 within the next few weeks. This means our appraisers will be out reviewing properties to stay compliant with the 5-year plan. As the months go on, I will continue to update you all on where we are and what new things are happening.
On another note: We do have plans to change up the DMV queuing system this fall. We will be getting information out about those changes within the next few months, so please watch for updates.
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!!!
– Anita Hymas, Bannock County Assessor
