craigdailypress.com

Almost three-quarters of the people who protested their rising property values should be happy with the county's response.

According to Moffat County Assessor's Office statistics, the county decreased property values for 72 percent of all residential and commercial protests, which will result in lower property taxes in 2010.

There were 322 protests total, and 232 of them resulted in a lower property value, compared to 90 that were denied.

Office staff mailed notices of determination to all protesters Tuesday, so each one should know this week if their protest was approved or denied.

"In general, most of the people that come in with concerns about their value, they have legitimate concerns," said Jennifer Riley, chief appraiser for the Assessor's Office. "We take them seriously, and we go out and make corrections when it's warranted."

She added that the number of total protests filed this year, and the percentage of them that resulted in a lower property value, were normal for any year.

"There wasn't anything this year that was out of the ordinary, in that regard," Riley said.

In total, recent protests resulted in a $5.8 million reduction in actual residential and commercial property values across the county.

The largest decrease came in what's known as residential improved property - that is, residential property with any kind of structure built on the land - which was lowered a total of about $3.5 million in actual value.

Other value decreases were as follows:

• Commercial improved property: $855,195

• Residential vacant land: $820,233

• Commercial vacant land: $619,144

Riley said she could not say how the loss in property values would affect county tax revenue. The county won't know the 2010 mill levy until December, and there are several different taxing districts across the county that require more or less in taxes.

The county still is researching protests for oil and gas property values, as well as business personal property values. Riley said her office will decide whether to approve or deny those protests by July 10.