Tax Assessors O.K. Value Changes
The Jasper County Board of Assessors, at its regular meeting Monday afternoon, approved the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget along with reviewing value changes and effects of new legislation.
Chief Appraiser Lynn Bentley said the budget had not been increased in three years, but with the cost of postage and education, it is necessary to increase slightly. She said she had already reviewed the request with County Manager Mike Benton.
She reviewed the legislative changes, saying they don’t have a large effect locally. Entities can now have 4,000 acres in conservation rather than the previous 2,000 acres. She also reviewed the new legislation that says at what level values are frozen which is five acres and the main house or two acres and the main house if the property is in conservation. She said 2024 value will be the base rate.
She reviewed a conservation breach where a property owner wants to divide his property so he is paying $17,000 in taxes.
She reviewed the schedule of tax notices, saying that things are already behind this year, due to the changes for the new homestead freeze. She hopes to have the new values in place to send the data to the printer on May 7 which will put them ready to mail May 16. That will have the appeal process continue til the end of June. The assessors would then vote at a called meeting June 30 or July 1 to close the digest. Then tax bills would be processed and sent out with due dates of October 20 and December 20.
The board will not meet in May, as three members of the board will be at training on the date of the regular meeting. The board will meet again June 16 to consider whatever is pressing, then have a called meeting two weeks later.
In presenting proposed changes, Ms. Bentley said the real estate market is better with only single digit increases. The 2024 sales overall are seven percent over the current values. Small tract and lakefront sales were the big increases last year, but they have definitely leveled out for this year, said Ms. Bentley.
She said she did a comparison with the houses for sale and their value. Of 78 existing homes, 35 are listed for $100,000 or more over the new proposed values, 13 are listed for $50-$100,000 over the proposed values. There are six listings that the sale price is less than the proposed value and two of those are under contract. That leaves 24 listings with a list price within $50,000 of the proposed values.
Ms. Bentley reviewed areas that will see increases. In the city of Monticello, there will be structure increases in several neighborhoods. Some five acre farms will see land increases but not structure increases. She recommended structure increases only for Jones Estates and Weldon Woods.
Turtle Cove interior lots will increase in value from $9,000 to $10,000. In addition, structures will be increased for interior lots and golf lots. Some lakefront areas will see structure increases, and lots in the Peninsula will see increases. Mobile homes will increase in value. Again structure increases are recommended for housing on all rural lots in the county. However, it is the smallest in many years—near five percent or less, depending on the area.
Open land will see increases, and most large parcels will also see increases. There will be no changes to commercial values. The board approved the recommended changes.
