Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Page 9
County tax bill details, deadlines ...
(Continued from page 5)
to receive the discount;
prevent holiday mailing
delays; and avoid interest
on delinquent payments.
According to the
county: “Generally the AV
of a property can only in-
crease 3 percent from one
year to the next. The re-
quired 3 percent increase is
the result of Measure 50, a
constitutional amendment
approved in 1997 by Ore-
gon voters. It requires a
rollback of the 1997-98
AV to the 1995-96 level
minus 10 percent.
“Each subsequent
year, Measure 50 requires
the maximum AV to in-
crease by 3 percent annu-
ally unless it exceeds the
real market value of the
property.
“Thus, the AV of most
properties increases by 3
percent from the prior
year,” the county said.
The county continued:
“The issue of maximum
AV and real market value
will come to the forefront
for approximately 2,000
mobile-home owners this
year. The real market value
has generally declined over
time, but this year has
risen because mobile-
homes represent a housing
option to the real estate
market.
“In past years, real
market value was the
lower limit for AV, as
maximum AV was higher.
An increase in market
value for many mobile-
homes will cause a direct
increase in AV, as the
maximum AV set in years
before was higher than
market value of previous
years .
“If there is new con-
struction,” said the county,
“a new parcel, a new sub-
division or the removal of
a special assessment, the
AV may increase more
than 3 percent.
“The new construction
or increased real market
value must usually exceed
$10,000 in one year, or an
accumulated $25,000 dur-
ing five years to be added.
If added, it is included in
the AV at a ratio intended
to reflect the percentage
that AV of unchanged
property of the same class
has to market value.
“In no instance will the
AV be more than the real
market value of the prop-
erty,” the county said.
“If a property was val-
ued less than the maximum
AV last year, the AV could
be increased more than the
3 percent limited by the
real market value or the
maximum assessed value,
whichever is less. Proper-
ties are not revalued due to
sales or transfers to a new
owner,” the county said.
“Permanent property
tax rates have been calcu-
lated and certified for each
taxing district,” said the
county. “Besides the per-
manent rates, the individ-
ual districts can levy, with
voter approval, local op-
tion levies and bonds. The
local option levies can be
for up to five years, unless
they are used for capital
construction, and bond
levies generally are for
approximately 20 years.
“Property owners are
billed only for taxes due to
the districts where the
property is located. For
example, property outside
city limits does not pay
city taxes; or property in
one school district does not
pay at the other school dis-
trict rates.
“Measure 5, a constitu-
tional amendment OK’d by
Oregon voters in 1990, is
still in effect. This creates
a permanent limitation,”
said the county, “on prop-
erty taxes of $10 per
$1,000 of real market
value for general govern-
ment services, and $5 per
$1,000 of real market
value for education ser-
vices, excluding bonds.”
The per-acre charge
for state fire patrol, im-
posed by the state forester,
decreased to .9465-cents
this year. This compares
with $1.0129 per acre in
2003, and $1.4042 per acre
for 2002.
New for this year is a
change in forestland spe-
cial assessment valuation.
The Legislature changed
forestland assessment laws
effective for this tax year.
The change increased
the specially assessed
value of most forestland.
Approximately 600
forestland owners, who opt
into a new forest program,
received a lesser increase
than other forestland own-
ers by accepting a sever-
ance tax. The result is that
the total of all forestland
AVs increased 60.6 per-
cent from the valuation in
2003, said the county
Valuation Review
Requests Due Dec. 13
Property tax bills also
serve as a “notice of
change of AV” from the
assessor. Property owners
who disagree with the val-
ues shown on their bill
have several appeal rights.
*First, they can go to
the assessor’s office in the
county courthouse in
Downtown Grants Pass
and ask for a review. The
assessor asks that requests
for valuation reviews be
submitted by Dec. 13, as
the review and all associ-
ated paperwork must be
completed and taxpayers
notified prior to Dec. 31.
If the assessor agrees
that the value should be
reduced, “that can be
done.”
*If he does not agree,
or the owner is not satis-
fied with the reduction, the
owner can appeal to the
Board of Property Tax Ap-
peals, a local board of citi-
zens that will conduct a
hearing; consider the infor-
mation presented; and
make a decision.
Appeals to the board
must be filed on or before
Dec. 31.
*Decisions from the
board can be appealed to
the Magistrate Division of
the Oregon Tax Court, the
county said.
Property owners who
want more information can
contact the county asses-
sor’s office at 474-5260, or
the tax collector’s office at
474-5175. The offices are
in the basement of the
county courthouse.
Assessor office hours
are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; tax
collector office hours are 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays
through Fridays.
Report says Oregon pays less for car insurance
Oregonians spend less
than the national average
for personal automobile
insurance, according to a
recent comparison, said
Oregon Dept. of Consumer
& Business Services.
The estimated average
expenditure per insured
vehicle for personal auto
insurance in Oregon was
$682 during 2002. That
compares to the national
average of $774.
The report is by the
National Association of
Insurance Commissioners.
Oregon auto insurance
costs during ’02 were less
than California’s $778 and
Washington state’s $788.
*Commissioners need to have a financial and managerial
background. I have both the background and the backbone.
*Public Safety: family wage jobs; planned growth; improved senior/
disabled services; protecting taxpayers dollars; and adjusting the
excessive salaries, vacation, managerial/staff ratios.
*On water resources, I would save Savage Rapids Dam and
complete Elk Creek Dam.
“Hard working, consistency, ethics… it is my pleasure to support
my friend Dwight Ellis.”
- Senator Jason A. Atkinson
JV TEAM SACKED - Illinois Valley’s JV football team lost to Henley in Cave Junction
on Thursday, Oct. 21. The Cougars were defeated 36-6 by the Hornets.
Varsity grid
squad loses
It appeared that Illinois
Valley would emerge with
a tie vs. Henley, but a 70-
yard TD run by Ian Moore
was called back with 1:20
remaining.
Henley won 36-28 in
Klamath Falls on Friday
night, Oct. 22, putting the
Cougars at 0-4 in the Sky-
line Conference.
I.V. coach Bob Thorn-
hill questioned the offi-
cial’s ruling about a block
in the back at the line of
scrimmage, but the call-
back remained.
Had the Cougars’ TD
counted, they could have
tied the score with a 2-
point conversion.
A standout for I.V.
was fullback Danny Gre-
bisz, a senior. He scored
three TDs, and rushed for
227 yards on 10 carries.
I.V. will host the Phoe-
nix Pirates on Friday, Oct.
29 at 7 p.m.
City has new contract cop
There’s a new deputy
in town -- Ray Webb --
whose report to the Cave
Junction City Council was
read during its meeting on
Monday night, Oct. 25 in
city hall.
Webb is the city’s new
contract officer under an
arrangement with Jose-
phine County Sheriff’s
Office (JCSO)
Webb, with JCSO
since August 1999, patrols
with his K-9 partner,
“Danno.” He wrote that he
has been working on vari-
ous city problem areas,
including illegal drug use.
His report on Septem-
ber statistics notes that no
stolen cars were reported
during the month. Overall,
there were 289 calls or
incidents and 19 arrests.
Councilman Rita Dyer
asked if Webb could come
to a council meeting, and
Mayor Ed Faircloth said he
would check on it.
She got her looks from her father. He's a plastic surgeon.
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
- Groucho Marx -