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Assessor addresses Mescal/J6 residents
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
Monday night residents held the little cards stating their property values and the taxes they will have to pay for the next two years, as Cochise County Assessor Philip Leiendecker tried to explain what the numbers mean.
Leiendecker was the special guest of the J-Six/Mescal Community Development Organization's quarterly meeting.
Leiendecker said the assessor's office is responsible for determining the full cash value of a property at least 18 months in advance. This allows time for appeals and for local governments to establish a budget.
However, knowing what the market is going to be like in two years has proven to be a tough task, especially in today's market, Leiendecker said. With a slow housing market, Leiendecker said it is their job to look at figures from the current sales market and determine property values.
However, he said by 2009 residents will likely see a two to five percent reduction.
Another problem at the county level is a lack of manpower. The value of a property is based on past numbers, current market sales and an inspection of the property.
The problem is a property may decrease or increase in value, but the property tax statement doesn't reflect it because an assessor has not been out to inspect the property in several years.
On the statement, Leiendecker said the full cash value of the property is listed, but is usually about 10 to 15 percent below what the property can actually be sold for.
With residents wanting to know where the money goes, Leiendecker explained that all of the property taxes stay in the county, or cities. They do not go to state for federal governments.
Nearly 60 percent goes to local school districts. Providing numbers from the past year, Leiendecker said $62.9 million went to school districts throughout the county, $23.3 million went to the county, $2.1 million to cities. There are 77 taxing jurisdictions in the county, and the funding is not divided equally, Leiendecker said.
"With 60 percent of this money going to the schools, the reality of the situation is you need to get more involved if you don't like what's happening," Leiendecker said.
Residents who feel a mistake has been made on the property tax statements can go through an appeals process.
"There is no way I would discourage anybody from filing an appeal," Leiendecker said. "If you feel it needs to be looked at, then do it. The system is not perfect. We are like umpires, we call it the way we see it and try to do what's right."
There are reasons one might file an appeal. Leiendecker said if a property owner feels the full cash value on the tax statement exceeds the actual value of what it can be sold for or if the legal classification is incorrect.
Many appeals in Cochise County were approved last year, Leiendecker said because the property classification was listed incorrectly. On average he estimated that about 10 to 15 percent of appeals are approved each year.
The bottom line, no matter what the situation is, taxes rarely go down, Leiendecker said.
"Every taxing jurisdiction is under funded," he said. "And with the real estate market, property values are what they are. The average home size is now 2,800 square feet. We are building bigger, more expensive, nicer homes. And guess what? You pay for it."
Leiendecker said the assessor's office can answer questions regarding tax statements and there are programs available for some to file for exemptions.
Another important note to existing residents during the meeting was incoming developments will not negatively impact property values. Giving the Red Hawk development in J-Six and the Whetstone Ranch development as examples, Leiendecker said these new developments are considered in a separate market and are taxed differently than the nearby home that has been there for the last 30 years.
Monday night residents held the little cards stating their property values and the taxes they will have to pay for the next two years, as Cochise County Assessor Philip Leiendecker tried to explain what the numbers mean.
Leiendecker was the special guest of the J-Six/Mescal Community Development Organization's quarterly meeting.
Leiendecker said the assessor's office is responsible for determining the full cash value of a property at least 18 months in advance. This allows time for appeals and for local governments to establish a budget.
However, knowing what the market is going to be like in two years has proven to be a tough task, especially in today's market, Leiendecker said. With a slow housing market, Leiendecker said it is their job to look at figures from the current sales market and determine property values.
However, he said by 2009 residents will likely see a two to five percent reduction.
Another problem at the county level is a lack of manpower. The value of a property is based on past numbers, current market sales and an inspection of the property.
The problem is a property may decrease or increase in value, but the property tax statement doesn't reflect it because an assessor has not been out to inspect the property in several years.
On the statement, Leiendecker said the full cash value of the property is listed, but is usually about 10 to 15 percent below what the property can actually be sold for.
With residents wanting to know where the money goes, Leiendecker explained that all of the property taxes stay in the county, or cities. They do not go to state for federal governments.
Nearly 60 percent goes to local school districts. Providing numbers from the past year, Leiendecker said $62.9 million went to school districts throughout the county, $23.3 million went to the county, $2.1 million to cities. There are 77 taxing jurisdictions in the county, and the funding is not divided equally, Leiendecker said.
"With 60 percent of this money going to the schools, the reality of the situation is you need to get more involved if you don't like what's happening," Leiendecker said.
Residents who feel a mistake has been made on the property tax statements can go through an appeals process.
"There is no way I would discourage anybody from filing an appeal," Leiendecker said. "If you feel it needs to be looked at, then do it. The system is not perfect. We are like umpires, we call it the way we see it and try to do what's right."
There are reasons one might file an appeal. Leiendecker said if a property owner feels the full cash value on the tax statement exceeds the actual value of what it can be sold for or if the legal classification is incorrect.
Many appeals in Cochise County were approved last year, Leiendecker said because the property classification was listed incorrectly. On average he estimated that about 10 to 15 percent of appeals are approved each year.
The bottom line, no matter what the situation is, taxes rarely go down, Leiendecker said.
"Every taxing jurisdiction is under funded," he said. "And with the real estate market, property values are what they are. The average home size is now 2,800 square feet. We are building bigger, more expensive, nicer homes. And guess what? You pay for it."
Leiendecker said the assessor's office can answer questions regarding tax statements and there are programs available for some to file for exemptions.
Another important note to existing residents during the meeting was incoming developments will not negatively impact property values. Giving the Red Hawk development in J-Six and the Whetstone Ranch development as examples, Leiendecker said these new developments are considered in a separate market and are taxed differently than the nearby home that has been there for the last 30 years.
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