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Show WWII Davis Property Tastes 0? By GARY R. BLODGETT FARMINGTON Davis County home owners can expect an increase in their property taxes beginning begin-ning in 1981, but just how much of an increase will depend on several factors, according to County Assessor Thayne Corbridge. THE STATE TAX Commission has mandated that all property in Utah be assessed at 20 percent of the 1978 market value. Mr. Corbridge said the county's present assessed valuation is based on 9.S9 percent of the 1980 not 1978 market value. If based on the 1978 market value, the assessed valuation should be closer to 17 or 18 percent about 36 percent shy of the State Tax Commission's recommendation. HOWEVER, BASED on the 1978 market value the county will have to increase its property assessment by about 85 percent to reach the state's recommendation recommen-dation of 20 percent. This means that property valuation in Davis Coun- ty will jump from its present assessment of $372 million to more than $600 million during 1981. NOW THIS DOES not mean that home owners in : Davis County will be paying 83 percent more in property taxes this year because there are several other factors involved, the county assessor explained. ex-plained. For example, the increased property taxes will be based only on about 75 percent of the property involved in-volved because 25 percent of the county's property is already assessed at the maximum 20 percent. This includes state-assessed properties (primarily utilities), utili-ties), personal property and green belt (farm land) properties. ALSO, PROBABLY one of the biggest deterrents to a huge increase in property taxes is the present state law that restricts the total property tax to be collected can not exceed the previous year's revenue by more than six percent. Thus, six percent of the increased property tax assessment not including utilities, personal property prop-erty and farm land would mean that Davis County home owners could be assessed approximately one-third one-third more in property taxes this year than in 1980. BASED ON AN average home owner in Davis County whose property tax payment in 1980 was $600, the payment would be increased about $200 or a total of $800 for 1981, basrd on the current mill levy. Without a six percent tax limitation, as some state legislators have suggested, the total property tax 'paid could be much higher, it was explained. "BUT STILL another factor to be determined is that it is almost certain all, or at least most of the taxing entities, will reduce their mill levies so that the overall tax increase will not be anywhere near a 33 percent increase," said Mr. Corbridge. He emphasized that the State Tax Commission has not definately decided on what tax refactoring formula for-mula to use to determine the assessed valuation but that it appears almost certain to be 20 percent of the 1978 market valuation. "IF THIS IS the formula used, it's possible that the state may drop its second phase of re-evaluation of property that is currently underway throughout the state," he said. Mr. Corbridge noted that all 29 counties were reevaluated re-evaluated in the mid-1970s and the second (updated) phase of re-evaluation is being conducted now with nine of the 29 counties already assessed at 20 percent of the 1978 market value. OTHER ASPECTS of the new refactoring formula being considered by some state and county tax offi cials are a distinction between areas of high and low-income housing, for example, or re-evaluation of raw property which may be considered prime property for developments. "But these kind of refactoring ideas are a little touchy because of the facts that would have to be substantiated to have a distinction in assessed valuations valua-tions of property in any particular area." said Mr. Corbridge. "Without substantiated facts, taxing entities en-tities could be sued for discrimination." HE NOTED THAT Davis County is especially uniform uni-form in relation to each other. This means that there is no one particular area of the county that should be taxed more or less than other areas as some areas of Salt Lake County are contesting. With the new refactoring method of 20 percent of 1978 market value and with a six percent increase in tax limitation attached the final tax assessment by Davis County property owners would be very near that of California's Proposition 13. Mr. Corbridge Cor-bridge noted. "DAVIS COUNTY had a tax mill levy rollback following the 1974 re-evaluation and a similar rollback roll-back is expected beginning this year." the county assessor concluded. |
