Methow Valley tops new construction list for 2017
OKANOGAN – The Okanogan County Assessor’s Office recently completed physically inspecting and valuing new construction throughout the county in the past 12 months and new construction was again highest within the boundaries of the Methow Valley School District, making up over one-third of the total.
County-wide $43,614,800 in new assessed value was picked up for assessment year 2017, with taxes payable 2018. This is an increase over the $40,742,700 in new construction valued in 2016, according to Scott Furman, Okanogan County Assessor.
“This process involves the office’s four real estate appraisers going out and physically inspecting the improvements and determining the value of the improvements based upon a number of criteria including square footage, quality of construction, quality of materials used and architectural design,” said Furman.
Of the $43.6 million, 88 percent of this new construction can be attributed to residential construction with the remaining 12 percent commercial construction. This compares to 90 percent residential new construction and 10 percent commercial new construction in 2016.
- The Methow Valley School District accounted for $15,873,200 in new construction or 36 percent of the total.
- The Brewster School District had $ 7,408,100 or 17 percent of the total.
- The Omak School District had $ 5,632,100 or 13 percent of the total.
- The Tonasket School District had $ 4,625,800 in new construction or 11 percent of the total.
- The Okanogan School District had $ 2,652,500 or six percent of the total.
- The Oroville School District had $ 2,569,400 or approximately six percent of the total.
- The Pateros School District was next with $ 2,338,300 or five percent of the total.
- The Coulee Dam School District had $633,400 or 1.5 percent of the total.
“Valuation of new construction in a timely manner by the Assessor’s Office is important to all property taxpayers as well as the 64 different taxing districts within Okanogan County,” said Furman. “ The addition of these new values to the property tax roll of Okanogan County helps lessen the property tax burden on everyone with existing value while at the same time giving the taxing districts where the new construction is located a small revenue boost.”
All property owners who have had new construction valued by the Okanogan County Assessor’s Office this year will have a notice of value change mailed to them by the end of August 2017. These notices of value change will affect property taxes paid in 2018.
The most new construction occurred in 2008 and amounted to $88.6 million, just before the building bust reached Okanogan County. For the first time that year Oroville School District topped the list with 32 percent of all new construction occurring within their boundaries. Much of the value within the district was attributed to new developments on and around Lake Osoyoos as well as the Buckhorn Gold Mine, according to Furman.
The Okanogan County Assessor, encourages anyone who has questions regarding their new construction assessment to contact the office at 509-422-7190 or stop by the Assessor’s Office at 149 3rd North, Room 202, in Okanogan and talk with them. The Assessor’s Office is open 8 to 5, Monday through Friday, except on holidays.