Reader comments
Tax values up 3% for homes in S.L. County

In an economy of foreclosed homes and devalued property how can the County claim an increase in taxes? Why is the county assesor being the one to set and tax us on property? This is the job of our legislators, not the county assesor. Property taxes should not be increaseing without representation as our constitution states. We in Utah have the most aggrssive taxation system in the country that can artificially regulate and tell us what our property is worth, at the whim of one man who is not authorized to tax raise taxes. If anything, property values have gone down and this taxation process is unconstitutional. Utah needs to elect new blood in its government, preferable none of them Republican or Democrat. Thier policies don't change and policy is where we need change, not who maintains the policy. We need independent representation and policy managers in government, no more of this subversive and corrupt representaion. We need backbone politicians with some standards of conduct and ethics that are not under the thumb of lobbyist. We need to get rid of spend thrift government that has realistic goals and willing to stand by those goals.

Is the tax valuation of our homes based on figures from previous years? Or is it based on the current sale value?

I know that in 18 years, no one from the county has ever wanted to look at my home to do an assessment, yet my property taxes have gone up every year.

I also have watched the price of comparable homes in my area drop over and over again until they sold for less than the balance of the mortgage.

It is my opinion that the county only wants more money to spend on things that may or may not be of value to the community.

I just sold my home last week. I had to lower the price to below the assessed value of a year ago to sell it. Property values are not going up.

Assessor appraises property. Your local taxing entity sets the tax rate: County, City, School District, Special Service District, etc. The assessor's constitutional role is to annually appraise property for its fair market value.

i suggest the county assessors read todays salt lake trib article on how salt county, weber county, davis county and utah county property went DOWN in property value ...

goes to show how stupid the assessing of property is in this state ... and how NOT in the moment the assessors in the various counties are NOT

acquisition based taxing (calif's prop13) is the ONLY way to go in this state ...

i mean come on .. a senators son gets a job funded by the senator ... assessors say the property is up when reality shows the property values are down ... this state needs some BIG attitude and function adjustments ..

remember incumbents out .. challengers in

i suggest assessor's get with the times and lower property values to be in step with the actual lower price of the selling and buying of homes in their counties

step outside mister assessor and see the prices falling

The assessor determines the value of a property as of January 1st of each year. So, it is possible that house were worth more six months ago before everyone in Utah started freaking out and prices started to drop. By the way, my assessment is about $80k BELOW the price I could sell my house. (The assessor forgot to include my finished basement in his assessment. :-D )

EVERYBODY appeal this year.

Assessment should drop at least 10%.

I personally feel that the latest assessment is one of the most poorly disguised tax increases I've ever seen. The land value of my humble .46 acres in Draper somehow increased in value from 182,000 to 304,000. I'm sure that is a HUGE surprise to my neighbors who have not been able to sell their houses on full acre lots for 450,000 - 520,000 for well over a year. If this valuation were anywhere near reality the developers would be buying and bulldozing to make room for a few more McMansions. Come on Salt Lake County - Don't lie to us or insult us - just admit you need to raise taxes! Surely the Salt Lake County voters will understand!