WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2023
VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 30
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WATER BOARD County moves forward with applicants
Owners of homes in Douglas County, like these in Lone Tree, will see their tax bills fall by a few percentage points.
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County to lower property values BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
In response to this year’s large jump in property values, officials have taken an action that likely hasn’t been seen in recent Douglas County history, according to the county’s head of property valuation. “We as a county are motivated to give our citizens relief wherever it’s lawful and prudent,” said Toby Damisch, the county assessor, speaking about a move to lower the increase in property values. Local taxes are in the spotlight after homeowners around the Denver metro area checked a notice from
their county assessors this spring and saw that their home value had jumped by sometimes shocking amounts. Driven by a costly real-estate market, those home values — as calculated for tax purposes — have spiked since the last time homeowners received notices of value two years ago. In Douglas County, residential properties faced increases between 30% and 60%, with a median of 47%. The high increase in property values means families’ property tax bills could jump up next year. That’s because when property values rise, the amount of taxes
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people owe goes up — even if local governments’ tax rates themselves don’t change. After many homeowners in Douglas County filed challenges, or appeals, to blunt the increase on their home values, the median increase went down slightly. Now, that number will come down even more — for a combined total of around a few percentage points — in a move that affects homeowners across the county, not just those who filed appeals. “We also appreciate the fact that there are people who view this as SEE VALUES, P10
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HONORING HEROES First responders, others honored
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OPPONENTS SPEAK Some plan to vote no on school P8 district’s funding request
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