Some county programs o er property tax relief

Residents facing hike

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A woman called in to a Douglas County town hall meeting to tell county leaders her expenses have increased so much that she and her husband might not be able to live in their longtime home anymore.

She was just about to turn 63, her husband will be 62 soon, and they worry because they’re too young to qualify for a certain tax bene t.

“We only have one income right now because I’m disabled,” she told o cials over the phone.

She was one of many local residents who expressed concerns about the expected spike in property tax payments in Douglas County — a phenomenon that could occur around the Denver metro area — in response to property valuations jumping up.

Driven by a costly real-estate market, home values — as calculated for property tax purposes — have spiked since the last time homeowners received notices of value two years ago. New valuations were to reach property owners around early May, and in Douglas County, residential properties saw increases between 30% and 60%, with a median of 47%, according to the county assessor. including townhomes and condominiums, county Assessor Toby Damisch said. e law requires assessors to value properties every two years. e property valuation homeowners were to receive is based on June 2022 data, near the recent peak in the real-estate market.

So even though home prices have declined since then, property values re ect last year’s exceptional highs.

“To the extent there’s been softness in the real-estate market since last summer, which there has been, that town hall audience.

Waiting on state lawmakers

Douglas County hosted the inperson and remote town hall April 26 to eld questions and concerns from residents about the potential sharp rise in their property tax bills.

State lawmakers may step in to limit how much people end up paying, but the clock is ticking on the legislature’s regular session, the roughly four-month period when lawmakers pass bills. It ends in early May, county Commissioner Lora omas noted.

Unless the legislature enters a special session, that would be the deadline for lawmakers to take action.

Much of the property tax that residents in Douglas County pay goes to what are called “metro districts,” Damisch noted. Metropolitan districts, such as Highlands Ranch Metro District, are a type of government entity that can o er some government services.

Some programs for relief

O cials told the audience about some resources that may o er relief for some property owners.

e senior property tax exemption “is such a critical, critical thing for our seniors,” state Rep. Lisa Frizell said.

e senior property tax exemption is available to senior citizens and the surviving spouses of senior citizens, according to the Colorado Division of Property Taxation. When the state of Colorado’s budget allows, 50% of the rst $200,000 of actual value of the quali ed applicant’s primary residence is exempted.

For more information on that exemption, call 303-864-7777, email dola_dpt_frontdesk@state. co.us or see the county’s website at douglas.co.us/assessor/residential-