Columbia Falls appraisals up 20 to 30 percent in some cases

Property appraisals in Columbia Falls are up 20 to 30 percent from what the city has seen so far, city manager Susan Nicosia told the city council Monday night.

While the city is exempt, she said the Columbus Park parcel the city owns was up 30 percent in value, according to the state Department of Revenue.

Not all properties were up that much. Some were in the single digits, but even a 7 percent increase in a home assessed at $300,000 equates to a $21,000 valuation increase.

The DOR does reappraisals of properties on a two-year basis. The housing market in Columbia Falls has surged in the past few years, breaking out of a deep slump from the Great Recession.

Higher appraisals can result in higher property taxes, though the city can adjust its mill levy based on the value of property in the city limits. Even so, there will be variability in the next tax bills because of different increase in appraisals, Nicosia noted.

But higher appraisals equate to higher property taxes, if mill levies remain the same.

According to DOR calculations, a home on a .21 acre lot that sees a levy of about 857 mills will have an estimated property tax of $1,795.

If an individual disagrees with their appraisal they can appeal the decision.

Appraisals are not tax bills. They include the department’s determination of market value for a property.

“It’s important that Montana property owners review this information thoroughly,” said Gene Walborn, Director of the Montana Department of Revenue. “If property owners wait until property tax bills are sent in November, it will be too late for the department to correct and update property characteristics that may impact the value of the property for the 2019 tax year. So please review the notice as soon as possible and contact us if you have questions.”

If property owners disagree with the department’s determination, they may submit a Request for Informal Classification and Appraisal Review (called Form AB-26) within 30 days of the date on their notice. Owners can electronically submit the form, download it, and find more information at mtrevenue.gov.

Those forms are also available at city hall, Nicosia noted.