Thursday, August 18, 2011

Clatsop County Launches Comprehensive Property Reappraisal Process



Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011

COUNTY LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE PROPERTY REAPPRAISAL

The Clatsop County Assessment and Taxation Department has begun inspecting residential, farm and business properties as part of the first comprehensive reappraisal in the county in many years.
The appraisers physically inspect every property in a selected area to determine the condition of the land and all improvements on each property and to verify the accuracy of county records regarding those properties. The county uses on-site appraisals, coupled with real property sales data and other information, are used by the county to determine a property’s real market value.
The A&T Department performs on-site appraisals of new construction and improvements as they are completed. But it has not conducted a comprehensive lot-by-lot appraisal in most of Clatsop County since the 1990s. State law and Oregon Department of Revenue rules require all property to be valued at 100 percent of real market value.
During their inspections, the appraisals will take note of changes to buildings as well as depreciation or physical defects that could impact the value of the property.
Prior to 1997, counties conducted on-site appraisals on a six-year cycle. But ballot measures 47 and 50, the property tax-limiting initiatives passed by Oregon voters in 1996 and 1997, removed the requirement for regular reappraisal cycles by the county assessor. In place of physical inspections, the A&T Department has relied on sales data and other information to keep valuations current.
But Clatsop County has a very heterogeneous market area – with homes of widely varying quality and value existing side-by-side – that makes it difficult to establish market values without on-site inspections, according to Appraisal Supervisor Michael Grant.
To keep appraisal records more up-to-date, the department is returning to the six- to eight-year appraisal rotation. The first area targeted is the northeast portion of the county – appraisers are currently inspecting properties in Westport and will work their way west to Astoria.
Appraisers will visit neighborhoods in vehicles bearing the Clatsop County logo and will carry official county identification. They will go door-to-door to each property in the area – if the owner is home, the appraisers will identify themselves, explain the purpose of the visit and ask if they may view the inside the home or other structure. If an owner declines, the appraiser will conduct the appraisal from the exterior of the building and/or the nearest right-of-way.
If the owner is not home, the appraiser will leave a yellow door tag containing contact information if the owner wishes to schedule a visit at a future time, and will conduct the appraisal from the building exterior and/or off the property.
During their visits appraisers will look for improvements and additions not noted in current county records and note the quality and age of those changes, as well as look for signs of depreciation or problems such as leaky roofs. They may measure buildings and will take photos.
“We try to be as detailed as possible,” said Senior Appraiser Catherine Harper.
A key goal of the appraisal program is updating county records. An on-site appraisal may find that a home listed in the county’s property data base as being heated only by wood stove now has a new heating system. On the other hand, appraisals can also reveal that structures still included in the assessment inventory have been removed.
Property owners are not required to allow appraisers on their property. But the A&T Department notes that the more access an appraiser has to the property, the more accurate the valuation for that property will be.
The department also emphasizes that appraisers do not check properties for compliance with building codes or other regulations – they are solely evaluating properties for their real market value.
Even if an appraisal results in a change in a property’s valuation, this will likely not result in a change to the owner’s property tax bill. Taxes are calculated on the property’s assessed value, not real market value. Measure 50 limited the annual rise in assessed value to 3 percent, and as a result today most properties’ real market values are substantially higher than the assessed value.
But maintaining accurate real market values is still important, Grant said. Oregonians have voted to change their property tax system four times in the last 20 years, and market values may be again be the basis for assessing taxes in the future. In addition, insurance companies, banks and mortgage companies rely on accurate indicated real market values from the A&T Department.
For more information on the appraisal process and property taxes, go to “Property Records/Taxes” on the Clatsop County website, http://www.co.clatsop.or.us/

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PHOTO CAPTION: Clatsop County Appraiser Chris Leader measures the wall of a home. The county’s Assessment and Taxation Department is launching a county-wide appraisal program.


Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622

August 24, 2011 Clatsop County Board Of Commissioners Meeting Agenda; 3:30 PM Work Session Precedes 6:00 PM Regular Meeting

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Thirteen Vie For Wu's Congressional Seat


The Candidates:


Dan Strite - Democrat
Warrenton, Oregon
Retired Golf Pro and Business Man


Rob Cornilles - Republican/T.P.

Tualatin, Oregon
Sports Marketing Business Owner


Brad Witt - Democrat/WFP

Clatskanie, Oregon
Union Official/Organizer
Oregon State Representative


Brad Avakian - Democrat
Oregon Secretary of Labor


Suzanne Bonamici - Democrat
Oregon State Senator


Lisa Michaels - Republican/T.P.
Beaverton, Oregon
Former Legislative Candidate, G.O.P. Activist
Cable Access T.V. Show Host


Delinda Morgan - Republican
Gaston, Oregon
Union Employee


Jim Greenfield - Republican/T.P.
Tigard, Oregon
Real Estate Investment advisor


Pavel Goberman - Republican
Beaverton, Oregon
Retired Fitness Expert and Frequent Election Candidate


Saba Ahmed - Democrat
Beaverton, Oregon


Lobbyist/Muslim - Womens Causes Activist
Todd Ritter - Democrat

Tigard, Oregon


Dominick Hammon - Democrat
Brookings, Oregon
Former Contractor


Robert Lettin - Democrat
Sherwood, Oregon Investment Advisor






Monday, August 15, 2011

Lower Columbia All-Stars At Play-offs Can Be Seen On Live Stream

Season Ends For Lower Columbia All-Stars in a 6-0 Loss To Visalia, California


An Afternoon With Reba And Phil

An Afternoon With Reba And Phil
By: K.C. McGee

August 14, 2011 6:00 PM

It was a perfect Sunday afternoon for an outdoor concert. The sun was shining and the wind calm. Surprisingly, so was the concert. No rowdy, obnoxious fans, no dancing at the stage ( it wasn’t allowed ). Fans sitting in assigned seats politely stayed put and sang along . Though the seating area was in no way sold out, we were packed in like sardines. General ticket holders sprawled on the grass, danced or mingled… quietly. It was definitely different from any other outdoor concert I’ve ever been to. Especially considering it was first Phil Vassar & then Reba that took center stage.
I almost missed Phil Vassar. If it hadn’t been for last minute media coverage, I wouldn’t have known he was starting at 2pm, not 3pm. He was great & the 5,000 or so fans seemed to know all of his songs as they sang along. I was slightly disappointed that he only performed for 1hr. But then came Rebba. I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of hers however, I have admired her talent for 30+ yrs. A true professional, she is gracious, superbly talented & it is obvious that she appreciates her fans.
All in all, I had a great time & I’m glad I got the chance to go. Though honestly, I think the $50.00 ticket holders got the best bang for their buck.