community news
october23
2012-13 Columbia County Property Tax Statement
The 2012-13 Columbia County
Assessment and Tax Roll has been
certified and property tax bills have been
mailed to Columbia County property
owners.
Between January 1, 2011 and
January 1, 2012, real market values for
most residential properties continued
to decline, however, at a much lower
rate than the previous year. Due to
the continued decline, there are more
properties with real market values falling
below the maximum assessed value, and
are therefore paying taxes based on the
real market value.
For the 2010-11 tax year, only
725 out of a total of 24529 properties
countywide had a real market value
lower than their maximum assessed
value. For the 2011-12 tax year, this
number increased to 6000 out of a total
of 24363 properties, and for the 2012-13
tax year, there are a total of 8254 out of
24443. Commercial property owners
had the least percentage of properties
at 6.03% that are below their maximum
assessed value this year, while the
Cities of Saint Helens and Columbia
City residential property owners had
the highest percentage of properties at
68.45% that are below their maximum
assessed value.
If the real market value gets
closer to the maximum assessed value
of properties it may result in a loss
of revenue for some districts due to
compression.
Compression occurs
when a category of government exceeds
its consolidated rate limit when applied
to the real market value of a property.
The consolidated rates are $5.00/$1,000
real market value for education and
$10.00/$1,000 real market value for
general government.
Consolidated
education rates for Saint Helens,
Scappoose, Rainier and Vernonia, and
consolidated general government rates
in the cites of Clatskanie and Rainier
exceed their rate limits. If the full
consolidated rate applied to the assessed
value of a property is more than the
consolidated rate limit applied to the
real market value, each district’s tax in
that category is reduced proportionately
so that it does not exceed the rate
limits. However, if a district also has
a voter approved local option levy,
the local option levy is compressed
before the permanent operating levies.
Voter approved bonded debt levies are
excluded from rate limitations.
Due to the market decline
and minimal new construction in the
county, there is very little change in
the total assessed value for most taxing
districts. This will result in a minimal
increase, and in some cases, a reduction
in property tax revenue received by most
taxing districts during the 2012-13 fiscal
year.
A total of $54,819,790
in
property taxes are being billed for the
county, cities, schools and special
districts. That amount is 1.79 percent
more than was billed last year. In
addition, a total of $1,165,118 will be
collected for such things as drainage
district assessments and the Oregon
Department of Forestry’s fire patrol
special assessments. That amount is
7.16 percent higher than last year.
Countywide, the market value of
all taxable property increased from $5.48
billion to $5.49 billion, an increase of
only 0.25 percent. The total tax assessed
value this year is $4,113,111,742 or 1.35
percent higher than last year.
The first payment of the tax bill
is due on Thursday, November 15, 2012.
At least one third of the amount is due at
that time. Payments can be made at the
tax office in the courthouse on Monday
through Thursday between the hours of
8:30 am and 5:00 pm. The courthouse
county offices are closed to the public
on Fridays. For payments that are made
using a bank’s bill pay service, the tax
account number should be noted in the
memo field. Payments that are mailed
need to be postmarked by the 15th. A
return envelope will be included with
the statements. The second and third
installments are due by February 15,
2012 and May 15, 2012, however the
County does not send out statements for
2012
15
the February or May due dates.
Columbia County is once again
providing a way to pay property taxes
with E-checks and credit and debit
cards through the Point & Pay website.
Property Tax payments can be made with
your E-checks and credit and debit cards
on-line at www.co.columbia.or.us, or
by calling 1-866-587-4007. There is a
2.95% charge to use your credit or debit
card and a flat fee of $2.95 for E-checks.
This year, arrangements have been
made with the St. Helens Community
Federal Credit Union (all branches) as
an authorized collector for the County
to collect only the 2012-13 property tax
payments through November 15, 2012.
Property owners who pay the
entire amount due by November 15th
will receive a three percent discount.
If two thirds of the bill is paid by
November 15th a two percent discount
of the amount paid will be allowed.
Property owners may appeal
the value of their property as in past
years. However, there would only
be a reduction in the taxes due if the
market value falls below the assessed
value. The deadline for filing an appeal
is December 31, 2012. Appeal forms
are available from the County Clerk
or County Assessors Office, or can be
found online at www.co.columbia.or.us/
departments/assessors-office.
Banks Public Library Expansion Update
The Banks Public Library increased in size
this summer through a thoughtful reconfiguration.
The Phase I Project removed old walls and opened up
the entire library 3,000 square feet for increased shelf
space and staff and volunteer working areas. The Phase
I Project also included expanding patron services by
installing an automated check-out system and creating
more space for study, research and laptop use. The new
construction repurposed and reused doors, windows and
other original hardware where possible; the circulation
desk was donated to the Aloha Community Library.
Now Phase II is in the works and the push is
on to construct a new community meeting room which
will be a 1,000 square feet addition to the north of the
current library footprint. This much needed space will
be used for pre-school story time, community meetings,
an interactive telecommunication “classroom,” summer
reading activities, a potential out-of-school learning lab
program for teens, and for a variety of other library and
community needs.
Community meeting space has been
determined to be a much needed commodity as local
residents seek to gather together for both social and
supportive community efforts. It is hoped that the funds
to provide a community room will be funded through
private foundations and donations from individuals and
businesses. The fundraising effort is led by the Banks
Library Expansion Team. This is a dedicated group
of volunteers that have been meeting for 9 months in
a grant writing class sponsored by the Ford Family
Foundation, Banks Community Foundation and the
City of Banks.
Boy Saves Grandmother continued from front page
For fast
cash!
An account has been set up at US Bank in
Vernonia to assist the Cutright family—Donations
can be made to The Cutright Family Relief Fund.
010412
He says he will stay out of school for a few more weeks until his hands are more fully healed.
The fire started in an old wooden shop/garage and quickly spread to the adjacent home.
Nearby neighbors watched helplessly as the fire grew while they waited for local firefighters to
arrive, worrying that the fire could spread to their structures in the tightly packed neighborhood.
Vernonia Firefighters answered the alarm with three fire engines and a command vehicle.
Firefighters were able to enter the home and rescue the family’s kittens from the blaze. Also rescued
were the family chick ens from their coop attached to
the home. However, one of the family dogs perished
in the fire. Vernonia Firefighters were assisted by
mutual aid engines from Mist-Birkenfeld, Scappoose,
and Banks. Due to an ag gressive fire attack and help
from neighboring agencies, firefighters were able to
save portions of the home and shop. Damages are
estimated to exceed $100,000. Fire Investigators
from the Vernonia Fire and the Oregon State Fire
Marshal’s Office investigated the fire and agree the
cause of the fire appears to be accidental.
Seth Cutright says he wants to be a firefighter
when he grows up. It is not the first time Seth has
been the hero for a family member. This past spring
he jumped into a creek and saved his two year old
cousin who had fallen into the water.
2245 Baseline St., Cornelius
(Across from Fred Meyer)
503-530-8119
State Licensed PB-0388
Open
everyday
at 9 a.m.
The current goal of the Banks Library
Expansion Team is to raise $10,000 from the local
community.
The demonstration of community
support is an essential component of successful grant
applications - and the next step in the Library Expansion
Team capital campaign plan. All donations are tax
deductible through the Friends of the Banks Library.
So far the community has stepped up and donated over
$5,000, fifty percent of the goal!
To help reach the community support goal local
vendors are agreeing to promote fundraising “jars,” in
their businesses. Donations are also accepted at the
library located at 42461 NW Market Street in Banks.
Please consider donating to this excellent community
cause! For more information call Denise Holmes,
Director of the Banks Public Library at 503-324-1382.