Your Lincoln County property tax bills have arrived — so be prepared (again) for some sticker shock

 

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews

Property values In Lincoln County increased by 16 percent in the past year – down from a record spike in 2022 but still the second highest increase in the past six years.

The increase is reflected in property tax statements — but not necessarily bills — from the Lincoln County assessor’s office being mailed Friday. The assessor’s 2023 real market value figure is based on real estate sales in 2022, including residential, multifamily, commercial and industrial.

Except for in the Yachats area, however, property taxes will increase an average of 4.5 percent across the county.

Yachats-area residents – more specifically those in the Yachats Rural Fire Protection District – will see their property taxes rise 11 percent because last May voters approved replacing a 59 cent operating levy with one that carries a $1.59 rate for every $1,000 of assessed property value.

The county’s tax bill comes at an awkward time for the fire district because voters will also be getting a ballot in the mail asking them to renew another district operating levy of 61 cents per $1,000 assessed property value for another five years.

There are 85 taxing districts in Lincoln County, including education districts, health districts, city, county, port, fire protection, water, road, special assessment districts and urban renewal districts.

County assessor Joe Davidson said all of them have distinct and different tax rates, and most have different geographic boundaries, so overall tax rates for individual properties vary by location.

Each property tax statement displays total amounts imposed by individual taxing districts, along with current and prior year property values. Values for both years are categorized by land, structure, total real market value and total assessed value.

Davidson said overall that real market value based on sales in 2022 is up about 16 percent from 2021 – but ranged from 12 to 20 percent depending on location. Many properties in Yachats, for example, saw their real market value increase 20 percent while areas of Waldport and Newport rose 12 percent.

“Yachats is really at the top end of the market at 20 percent,” he said. “Twelve percent is more of the norm.”

Fortunately, taxpayers don’t pay based on real market value – but assessed value. Countywide, Davidson said, assessed values have been averaging 52 percent of real market value.

Davidson said most property owners will see a typical 3 percent increase in their taxable assessed value due to Ballot Measure 50 – a property tax limitation measure approved by Oregon voters in 1997.

Some increases

Davidson said total property taxes, fees and special assessments are up approximately 4.5 percent countywide over 2022. There were four notable taxing district rate changes for 2023 – all in south Lincoln County and three involving voter-approved increases:

• Yachats Rural Fire Protection District won approval of a 5-year local option levy with a rate of $1.59, replacing a 59 cent levy and resulting in a net rate increase of $1 per $1,000 of assessed value for all properties within the district. That’s driving the 11 percent tax increase in the Yachats area;
• Voters in the Southeast Nelson Wayside Drive Special Road District just east of Waldport approved an additional 5-year levy with a rate of 50 cents per $1,000 assessed value;
• Voters in the Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue District approved a 5-year operating levy with a rate of 35 cents per $1,000. That levy replaced a 25 cent levy.
• And, the Seal Rock Water District is dropping its rate for its water bond by 46 cents this year, resulting in a bond tax rate of $1.34 per $1,000 assessed property value.

Making a payment

The county is mailing 47,399 tax statements; 9,532 of those are paid by banks and other mortgage holders.

Initial property tax payments are due by Nov. 15. Full payments made by then receive a 3 percent discount and two-thirds payments receive a 2 percent discount.

For property owners making one-third payments, the second payment is due by Feb. 15 and the third payment is due by May 15.

Payments can be made electronically online, mailed with a postmark on or before Nov. 15, dropped off at a collection box in the county courthouse parking lot, or in person at the tax office located in Room 205 of the courthouse.

Davidson said property owners disputing their values are encouraged to contact the assessor’s office. Appraisal staff will be available to answer questions and review properties for value adjustments until Dec. 31. Taxpayers also have the option to file value petitions with a special citizen appeals board until Dec. 31.

The county assessor’s and tax collector’s offices are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Davidson said most value and tax-related questions can be answered by phone or email and that all assessors will be in the office next week to help answer questions.

Year over year increase

This year’s 16 percent increase in real market value follows a record 24 percent jump countywide in 2022. In 2021 the increase was 12 percent; it was 10 percent in 2020; six percent in 2019; and, 9 percent in 2018.

Davidson said the volume of residential sales “decreased significantly” in 2023 because of the sharp increase in interest rates.

The county recorded 2,041 home sales in 2022, down almost 800 from the 2,831 recorded in 2021 and far below the record 3,392 sales in 2005.

Davidson said the median sale price of homes in 2022 was $490,000 – the highest on record and $80,000 more than the median sale price in 2021.

“That’s the most shocking area,” he said. “It’s amazing what’s happened. There’s still a lot of demand out there and a lot of equity built up in these properties.”

 

For more information on property tax payments, go here