To the residents of Whitman County,

Recently, many property owners received notices indicating a significant increase in their property valuations compared to last year. This rise may come as a surprise, but it is important to understand that the Department of Revenue mandates the Assessor to evaluate properties at 100% of their true and fair market value (RCW 84.40.030). Assessor Flodin is required to adhere to this regulation. Certain property types may qualify for special programs that defer taxation, such as agricultural land in current use or those qualifying as senior citizens. However, these programs have specific qualifications and potential penalties, such as retroactive tax payments if the status of agricultural land is changed to residential.

In Washington State, a substantial increase in property valuation does not necessarily lead to a corresponding increase in property taxes. The valuation of each property is utilized to distribute the total collectible property taxes among all properties within each taxing district. For instance, Whitman County is authorized to collect taxes equivalent to last year’s amount plus a 1% increase, with additional amounts from new construction and state-assessed valuations factored in. This collection method applies uniformly across all taxing districts in the County.

Assessor Flodin has provided an explanation of these increases on the Whitman County Assessor’s page: https://www.whitmancounty.gov/157/Assessor. If you believe there is an error in your property valuation, you are encouraged to discuss it with her. Should you and the Assessor be unable to reach an agreement, you have the option to appeal your property valuation to the Board of Equalization within 30 days from the date the valuation notice was mailed. The Board operates independently from the Assessor, but it too is obligated to ensure property evaluations are at 100% of true and fair market value. Further information about the Board’s process and limitations can be found at https://www.whitmancounty.gov/505/Board-of-Equalization under the section titled “A note from the Whitman County Board of Equalization.”

Sincerely,

Art Swannack-Chair
Whitman County Board of Equalization