Elbert County’s 2021 bi-yearly property tax valuations have been announced, leaving some residents outraged by the increase. Residents are also concerned that the recent explosion of growth in Elbert County will continue to impact property tax revaluations for years and decades to come.
What Elbert County residents will pay in property taxes in 2022 was determined by the bi-annual revaluation in 2021 and at a rate set by the State of Colorado. This year, residents will pay a tax assessment rate of 7.15% of their property’s actual value while commercial property, agricultural land and agricultural outbuildings are set to 29%.
While revalues take place bi-yearly, the state-approved assessment rate can change every year. The assessment rate has changed for most types of properties while some remain the same.
Here is a breakdown by property type:
• Residential: 2021 assessment rate, 7.15%; 2022 assessment rate, 6.95%.
• Multi-family dwellings: 2021 assessment rate, 7.15%; 2022 assessment rate, 6.8%.
• Agricultural land/buildings: 2021 assessment rate, 29.0%; 2022 assessment rate, 26.4%.
• Renewable energy: 2021 assessment rate, 29.0%; 2022 assessment rate, 26.4%.
• Commercial: 2021 assessment rate, 29.0%; 2022 assessment rate, 29.0%.
• Vacant, non-agricultural land: 2021 assessment rate, 29.0%; 2022 assessment rate, 29.0%.
Some residents have shown concern about their property tax payments for this year while others were pleasantly surprised. “Mine went up,” said Matthias Parenti of Kiowa. “But I was able to successfully argue the assessed value and brought it down a bit.” Ashley Ross of Elizabeth, however, was happy to see that hers had gone down from the years prior.
In a phone interview from Feb. 22, former Elbert County Agricultural Assessor Jane Penley offered further caution to residents. “Even though the assessed rate is going down, property values are still going up,” said Penley. “This is mostly a result from growth and development in Elbert County. Properties have been selling for so much more.”
In an interview from 2021, Penley shared her concerns for the future of Elbert County residents and property owners. “We’ll see the biggest impact in the 2023 revaluation,” said Penley. “People within the town of Elizabeth that are living in homes that are 20-25 years old, their value is going to be extremely impacted.”
The Elbert County Assessor’s Office, run by Assessor Susan Murphy, outsources the bi-yearly valuation to Michael Akana, the deputy appraiser for Teller County. Akana is responsible for determining the actual value of local property. Murphy of Elbert County currently holds the State Appraisal License of Ad Valorem. She, along with members of her staff, are not licensed to carry out property revaluations.
For information on the Elbert County assessor, go online to elbertcounty-co.gov/264/Assessor.
To find information on your property, go online to services.elbertcounty-co.gov/assessor/web.