Revaluation statements for 2019, showing new assessed values of properties to be used for the 2020 property taxes, will be mailed May 31. The new values are based on actual sales which occurred prior to Jan. 1, 2019 and most will see an increase in value.

If you do not receive a notice then the assessed value on your property has not changed. If you disagree with your new assessment you have 30 days to appeal. The appeal deadline this year is July 1.

Please contact this office before this date if you have any questions. By law we (the assessor’s office) can’t change values after this date if the value hasn’t gone through the appeal process.

Sales numbers and sale prices increased in 2018. There were 1,003 qualified, arm’s length (willing buyer-willing seller) sales we used to calculate the new values.

Most property owners will see a 10% to 20% increase on the revaluation notices, though some more desirable areas or types of properties will see more of an increase.

It seems that the housing market pressure in the urban areas on the West Coast is affecting rural Washington, as people either retire from or commute to these cities.

Tax Sifter (http://pacificwa.taxsifter.com) will be updated May 31 to reflect the new values.

After you receive your new value notice, please take some time to review it.

Our goal here is to be as accurate and fair as possible. We used only comparable sales prior to January 1, 2019 to determine the new values. Since we physically inspect only one-sixth of the county annually and statistically determine the other values, something might change which would affect a property’s value. If you have questions about your new value, or something has changed to your property, please call the office at one of the numbers below. We will also have sales lists available so you can look at the same sales we did when arriving at the new values.

Please remember that you only have 30 days, until July 1, 2019 to appeal your new values. Next February when you get your tax statements for 2020 is eight months too late for next year’s taxes.

Also remember if you are over 61 years old as of Dec. 31, 2018, or disabled and make less than $40,000 annually, your primary residence may qualify for a senior citizen exemption. Call our office for further information.

If you have any questions about your reval statement, the Senior Exemption Program or any other property tax issue, or see a correction needed on our Taxsifter or Mapsifter websites please contact us at 360-875-9301, 642-9301, 484-7301 or 267-8301.

Our office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday at the Courthouse in South Bend and 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday only at the South County Annex at 7013 Sandridge Road in Long Beach.