Submitted by the San Juan County Assessor’s Office
The Assessor’s Office mailed the 2023 Change of Value Notices on Oct. 27. If the appraised value did not change from the prior year, property owners will not receive a Change of Value Notice. Tax rates will be provided by February 2024.
2023 Highlights
San Juan County’s total value increased from $12.5 billion in 2022 to $14.4 billion, including $146 million in new construction, which is $16 million more than last year and the highest new construction value in San Juan County history.
The 2023 inspection cycle included 2,791 properties on the south end of San Juan Island and the south end of Lopez Island, with 849 additional inspections for new construction in the rest of the county.
The Assessor’s Office analyzed sales between January 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023 to reflect the real estate market as of January 1, 2023 in the assessments. Properties with new construction are valued for improvements made to the property up to July 31, 2023. Most areas showed an increase in value from the previous year.
‘Change of Value’ is not a tax bill
Tax bills are mailed in February based on the budgets submitted by the taxing districts (state, county, fire, library, etc.). Budgets are limited to a 1% increase plus an allowance for new construction in the district, which usually adds another 1%-2% to the total amount collectible. Because the cost of services increases every year, most taxing districts increase their budgets from the previous year, which increases taxes.
Assessed values are set at market value. As sale prices increase, so will assessed values. As sale prices decrease, so will assessed values. If the taxing district budgets remained constant from one year to the next, taxes would stay the same even if assessed values doubled. Taxes would stay the same even if assessed values dropped in half. The levy rate is adjusted down or up as assessed values go up or down (think of a seesaw) to satisfy the budget amounts.
If you have questions about your assessment, please email the Assessor’s Office at assessor@sanjuanco.com or call (360) 378-2172 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday – Thursday. Disagreements with the assessment may be appealed to the Board of Equalization. Completed petition forms must be submitted to the Board of Equalization within 30 days of the date printed on the Change of Value Notice.
The San Juan County Assessor’s Office identifies and assigns a taxable value to all business and personal property within San Juan County so that taxes are paid equitably according to State law. Property taxes allow our community to benefit from services like schools, libraries, parks, health services, fire protection, and law enforcement. The San Juan County Assessor’s Office is committed to a process that is professional, fair, and clearly understood. The department’s main office is located at 350 Court Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Assessor’s Office, visit www.sanjuanco.com/149/Assessor.
