Valuations of homes may shock Utahns

Beware of the mailbox: An unpleasant surprise could be waiting there. Maybe you've already found it.

style="border:1px solid #999999;"> Related content Deseret Morning News July 21 2007: Utah home prices rise

Utah residents started receiving property-tax notices on Monday, and some are already experiencing sticker shock.

In many cases, residents are pleased to see an increase in the market value of their homes, especially if they want to sell. But those rising values can bring higher overall property-tax bills.

"A lot of people have just been unhappy," a Salt Lake County tax administrator said. "They hear these stories about the government having all these surpluses and wonder, 'Why are my taxes going up?"'

In Salt Lake County, the complaints started pouring in the first day tax notices were sent out.

The Davis County Assessor's Office has been fielding similar phone calls to explain to residents that county commissioners instituted a property-tax increase in November, and so did the Davis County Mosquito Abatement District. The Weber Basin Water Conservancy District and Davis School District are also expected to increase their tax rates this year.

Davis residents will have opportunities to be heard regarding the tax increases at various truth-in-taxation hearings in August. One hearing will be held for each entity proposing a tax increase.

Unless a taxing entity implements a tax increase, said Davis County Clerk/Auditor Steve Rawlings, the entity can only collect the same amount of tax as the previous year plus any new growth. For most residents, the tax bill should drop slightly every year if budgets stay the same, he said.

Davis County Assessor James Ivie said the process of appraising property also confuses people.

Residents of Bountiful and the eastern portion of Kaysville saw dramatic increases in home values, and potential tax bills, because those properties hadn't been appraised in the past 10 years or so.

"They've been paying less than they should," said Ivie, a Bountiful resident whose tax bill will likely increase by $700 this year.