PROPERTY VALUES TAKE BIG JUMP IN WASHINGTON COUNTY
For the first time ever, property values in Washington County have risen to over $3 billion. Based on numbers released by the Appraisal District, property appraisals in Washington County are taking a big jump in value in 2015.
County wide, the amount of taxable property has risen by 8.3 percent, or $245 million dollars from 2014. The figure for 2015 is just under 3.2 billion dollars of taxable property, which includes new improvements, new construction and new personal property of 69.6 million. Washington County Chief Tax Appraiser Willy Dilworth explains why property owners can expect to see such an increase in their property values.
Dilworth says 22,041 property value notices are being mailed this week because this is a “revaluation” year, so every property owner in the county is receiving a notice. Property valuations in the Brenham Independent School District show an 8.9 percent increase over last year, which includes over $60 million in new construction, improvements and new personal property. The total taxable property in BISD is now over $2.6 billion, up from 2.4 billion in 2014.
Dilworth was asked what type of property has driven the big jump in property values.
Taxable property in the Blinn College taxing district has jumped up 8.2 percent in value, rising by just under $245 million to over $3.2 billion. For Burton ISD, taxable property valuations increased 7.2 percent, or just under $31 million, for a total of over $460 million.
Property owners in downtown Brenham may be shocked when they opened their tax appraisal letters. Some of the older property has doubled in value since last year.
Dilworth explains.
Dilworth asks everyone to please be patient when calling the Tax Appraisal Office to discuss their property valuations. He says those with homesteads can file their appeals online. But he encourages everyone to call and speak with his office to see if things can be worked out before filing an appeal.
Wow is right!! Not only is my salary NOT going up, but all other things are going up too. It’s getting to where people that have any family land will have to sell it just to pay the taxes on it. Sad, Sad that people can’t own large tracts of land because of this!
My “revaluation” this year is almost 12% increase…….not even close to the other 4% changes on my street…..this is definitely not fair….
Answer; Our commissioners let our appraisal district know they need more money so we get a tax increase. And why do they need more money? We have an EMS building that looks like a country club, and you can expect our new Justice Center to look like a Hilton Hotel. These are services and they should look like service buildings, not tourist attractions. We provide a new upgraded model of a Ford Expedition for the Sheriff because it has a more luxurious interior. We have increased the county employees expotentially in the last two decades and have provided thousands of dollars to the expansion and remodel of the old Simon theatre for a cocktail set party place. Essentially, our commissioners have champagne tastes on the ‘beer” salaries back of our citizens. And our commissioners salaries are far too high for once a week meetings. There is waste and overspending at every turn. Want change? How about an all new commissioners court? Then VOTE SMART, not for party, or ethnic origins, but for wise business savvy persons!
This is “revaluation” year?? What’s the difference between this year and any other? Our property taxes have gone up EVERY year. I guess I can expect a bigger increase now.
Glad I don’t live there anymore. I ALWAYS thought the taxes were WAY to high!!!
When is it going to stop? Several businesses have had to lay off people and yet we keep getting taxed more and more. Not everyone gets a raise each year to compensate for these raises in taxes. The School, the City, Blinn, and Washington County are just going to have to realize, they can’t give raises each year! Something is going to have to give or we will all be putting our property up for sale and moving to counties that don’t have the tax rates or valuations of property that Washington County seem so proud of!
You are sorely mistaken if you believe the County hands outs raises every year. If memory serves correctly, the County has given two 3% raises to county employees since 2009. This hardly covers the cost-of-living and inflation expenses. The last raise was in 2013. Property taxes increased 8.3% this year and approximately 8% last year (someone correct me on these stats if I’m wrong). Do the math – it’s nowhere near equal. County employees (and many other in this town) are operating at a loss.
You’re kidding, right? I’m not exactly sure what city and county employees make but I know EXACTLY what I make as an employee of the school district. Our piddly little 2.5% raise last year did not even cover the rising cost of my insurance! Go right on ahead and sell your property and move elsewhere. You will then see that Washington county is not so bad!
Only a specific few “select” county employees got a raise of ANY amount starting in 2015. Ask Otto Hanak about all the raises his department was able to give out to try and keep jailers from going to Buccee’s for more money…
Fortunately, there was plenty of cash for the County to take over dispatch.
Talk about taxation without respresentation!!! The political class touts how they lower rates but what they dont tell you is they double the appraisal throught their appointed henchmen. Just go fight your appraisal and see how far you get. It makes a proceeding in Communist Russia look like a fair and honest trial.