I'm gonna respect everybody's time.

It's April 7th.

This is the It's not this meeting, technically.

It's a Board of Equalization meeting.

We're in the uh Tom Baker room of the city county building or county build city building.

And we'll call the meeting order first.

So I think Jason, you've got role.

Yes, sir.

Commissioner Zinker.

Here.

Commissioner Cleary.

Here.

Mayor Schmidt.

Here.

All right.

We're in we're in session.

Go ahead, Alison, and deliver your report, and then we'll get to the public hearing portion.

Great.

Well, Mayor and Commissioners, I would like to start the meeting off with a short video about what our office does.

So I don't know what is that like.

So there's a lot of misunderstanding about the role of assessors and how they affect the property tax that homeowners pay.

When someone hears the term assessor, they seem to think of a scary figure reaching for their wallet.

Not so.

Assessors don't set tax rates.

Assessors don't chase tax dollars.

An assessor is interested in fairly determining property values, and they take great pride in it.

Property tax is determined by a simple formula.

Assessors only affect one of these variables, the value.

And they do so with incredible accuracy.

Assessors aren't tax collectors or even tax setters.

They're just fellow taxpayers, and their primary goal is to make everything fair and equitable.

Imagine that you're in a restaurant with two friends.

One orders a hot dog, one orders a plate of caviar, and you order a steak.

The waiter comes to the table with a total bill of 100 dollars, but he doesn't know how much each of you should pay.

If everyone paid the same amount, the guy who ordered the caviar might be happy.

But what about the guy who ordered the hot dog?

Enter assessors.

The food is your property.

Just like these meals, some people's property is worth more than others.

And it's the assessor's job to determine how much each property is worth.

That's it.

So in the same way the value of these menu items would need to be determined.

An assessor places value on properties to ensure fairness and equity.

After the assessor determines the value of each property, local governing bodies will set their budgets for the coming year.

They set the tax rate in order to produce the dollars needed for their budgets.

The value of a property does not affect the amount of property tax needed.

The sum total of all those budgets is a set number that has to be divided up among all the property owners.

So even if everyone's value was cut in half by the assessors, the tax rate will be raised in order to generate the same amount of tax revenue.

The assessors don't determine the taxes you pay, they just determine the values of properties to keep everything as fair and equitable as possible.

When you notice a change in your property's assessed value, that change is the result of a never-ending quest for fairness and accuracy.

Assessors are graded on their performance, so there is a detailed system to get accurate valuations.

First, the assessor looks at similar properties that have sold, their sale prices, and the terms and conditions of each sale.

That's the reason your home won't just be compared to the place next door.

Studying things like square footage, age, and location helps assessors determine how comparable another property is to yours.

Even seemingly small details like an extra bathroom or finished basement can result in significant differences in value in two otherwise identical homes.

Assessors maintain a thorough database of real estate information to make this process as precise as possible.

Changes in value are typically the result of local real estate market sales or major changes to a property.

Remodel a kitchen or finish your basement, and your property's value could increase.

When you see your home's assessed value, you can rest assured that the number has not been drawn out of a hat, nor generated with anything but equity and accuracy in mind.

Long story short, assessors are here to help, not trying to hinder.

And they take great pride in it.

The assessing division is a team of ten.

We've got seven appraisers, including myself, and three front office staff.

We've got seven appraisers, including myself and three front office staff.

And our team processes ownership changes.

We assist taxpayers with questions about their property valuations, applications for homestead and veterans credits.

We create new parcels when a property is annexed.

A new plat is recorded or a lot modification is approved, and we establish value for all taxable property within the city of Bismarck.

The assessing division uses mass appraisal techniques to establish valuations for all taxable properties annually.

And this is done by discovering listing and valuing properties in accordance with North Dakota Century Code, the Office of the State Tax Commissioner's Guidelines, and IAAO standards.

The values we establish are used by school districts, the county city, and the parks district.

For our 2026 assessment, there were 27,814 parcels in the city of Bismarck.

Residential properties make up the bulk of those parcels, and they're mainly comprised of single family homes.

Commercial properties would include retail, manufacturing, apartments, hotels, just to name a few of the occupancies that we would have there.

And then some of those parcels are partially or fully exempt from taxation.

An example would be a property owned by the United States, the state of North Dakota, City of Bismarck, Burley County, school districts, churches, charitable organizations.

Century code does allow for various exemptions based on the ownership and use of the property itself.

All property is valued each year based on the previous year's market, not just the properties that have pulled permits, had a transfer of ownership, or ones that might have been in our review area.

So we perform physical inspections, and they're very important for our office.

We do that to verify the details of the improvements.

We currently have the city on a six-year review cycle.

For 2026, we saw 4,392 residential parcels and 413 commercial parcels.

The physical inspections were also made to verify details on the parcels that sold in 2025 or had a permit for new construction, an addition, a remodel, basement finish, and exterior items like a detached garage, a deck, a shed, swimming pool.

When we review a property, we look at the quality of the materials used, the condition of the structure, we determine if there's any unfinished areas.

We look at interior finish items like the lining of the walls, the number of plumbing fixtures, the heating and cooling source, types of exterior wall coverings, roof covering, wall or ceiling height, mezzanines, exterior items like concrete patios, parking, deck sheds, pools, detached garages, or any other outbuildings.

We use that data that we collect to establish the value.

We make deductions based on the age and the condition of the home, which would be the depreciation, and then we'll add in the land value that we've established for that area, and that's known as the cost approach.

After we've established a value with the cost approach, we're going to compare that to the market.

What similar properties have sold and are currently selling for in those areas.

We'll make adjustments to different neighborhoods based on those sales, and that's our sales comparison approach.

We could utilize the income approach, but unfortunately, we don't have enough income and expense information on those types of properties available to us in our office.

So we just, it's an option, but because we don't have the details we need, we only utilize that typically on hotel properties at this point in time.

So the City Board of Equalization is tonight.

It's required to take place during the first 15 days in April annually, and this is the meeting where property owners can appeal their current valuation.

After the valuations are approved at tonight's meeting, they get sent to the county, and they are again shared at the county board of equalization meeting this year.

That is June 1st, here in this same room.

It's at 3 30 in the afternoon.

And once the county meetings done, then those valuations are sent to the state.

And the state board of equalization meeting is held the second Tuesday in August annually.

This year, that's August 11th, and it's at 8 30 in the morning.

And then when the state board reconvenes in October, that's when they certify our values for the year.

Property tax credits that we assist property owners with would be the homestead credit and the veterans credit.

For 2025, we did see an increase in applications for the homestead credit.

We had 84 additional applications for that assessment year.

And the based on that current levy, someone who qualified at the 100% level for the credit would save little more than $2,100 on their home.

We had an additional 46 applicants for that credit.

And those credits are the property owner doesn't, you know, they they receive the benefit of those, and then the state reimburses the different jurisdictions for that amount that they would have received had they not applied for the credit.

Just a few of the North Dakota Century Codes.

Property is all property in the state is subject to taxation unless it's exempted by law.

And then all real property subject to taxation must be listed and assessed every year as of February 1st.

We are to value property at its true and full valuation.

That's determined by the market, what people are paying for properties.

Property values are not set to meet budgetary needs for any taxing entity, or because the property qualifies for a credit or an exemption.

Many IAAO courses are required to meet our certification and continuing education needs within the state of North Dakota.

65% of our valuation is made up by residential properties.

We have less than 1% of agricultural properties within the city.

For our commercial review, we did see a slight decrease in the number of sales from 24 to 25, but the sales we did receive did indicate that we needed to increase our market values.

For our residential properties, we had a few less sales there.

But the sales that we had did indicate our values were lower than required by state law, so we had to increase those.

But there was an increase in new new construction for residential homes.

It also includes the effect of exemptions and other incentives, which result in an estimate of our 2026 taxable valuation.

The 2026 total market value is 12,077,638,900.

It's an increase of 4.52% from the prior year.

The State Board of Equalization allows for a tolerance level of 90 to 100% of market value.

And based on our 2025 sales and the valuations we established for 2026, our residential ratio comes in at 94.11%, and our commercial ratio is at 93.67.

Existing properties saw an overall increase of 3.27%.

And the remaining increase comes from growth.

Our new construction, annexations, properties that were exempt that are now taxable.

Those are an addition to what we didn't have the year before.

Appraisal and assessment are a systematic process of collecting and analyzing data to arrive at a well-reasoned estimate of value as of a specific date.

Century code sets that date as February 1st annually.

Values for the 2026 assessment were done by collecting property data and analyzing sales transactions occurring in 2025 and prior.

An important element in assessment is uniformity.

So this is a public hearing for property owners to protest their 2026 value.

But anyone who does wish to speak tonight should put their name, phone number, and address if possible on this sign in form up here at the podium.

If the property owner has not already, I don't know where that went, but if the property owner has not already spoken with someone from our office, we will reach out to them in the next couple of days to visit with them personally about their concerns and schedule a review of their property so we can see if there's anything that we may have an error on their home.

If we do find a reason to adjust that valuation, we will present a recommendation at the county board of equalization meeting in on June 1st.

So do you have any questions for me about this portion of the report?

Commissioner Mayor Commissioners Allison.

So can you give a little overview as to what changes happened with the uh with the law that the state required everybody to get a letter on valuations?

If you could expand on that, please.

They did um I believe it was with House Bill 1176 when they made some changes to the laws.

Prior to this year, we only had to send a notice of increase to individuals whose property value changed by a certain amount.

Um with that change to the law, they are no longer requiring that notice of increase.

They are requiring that every property owner receive a notice of assessment.

Um, and so this year was the first year that we've had to send out a notice to every property owner so they can see what their prior year and their current year values are and let them know of the meeting dates so they could come and you know contest their value, they can call our office and visit with us if they have concerns if they don't think the current value is what they could sell their property for.

Um that's a great time to give us a call and and visit with us and sure.

Thank you.

And then I got one follow-up one.

I mean, obviously, since you said there's 27,000 parcels of we had to send 27,000 letters plus.

So off the top of your head, what's the what's the range that you saw from the smallest percentage increase to the largest increase?

I mean, right?

Because it's averages, that's what you presented to us.

Yep, today is averages.

So I mean, what's the what's the range?

Uh off the top of my head, I don't know if I can say because it would really just depend if it was an area that maybe properties weren't selling the same as they were the prior year.

We might have had a decrease in valuation um for that neighborhood.

Individual properties, if we'd been out there in this last year and found maybe some of our information was incorrect, their value could have gone down as well.

And it could go up significantly if, say, you were building a brand new home and it was partially or 100% complete, and last year it was just a vacant land.

So I mean, there's there's a wide range.

I would say typically just depends on the neighborhood.

Some of those did go down, some of them stayed very similar, and and some of them did go up more than others because of the market in their area and what people are paying for those homes.

Thank you.

Yep.

Any other questions at this point?

Okay.

Thank you.

And I'll after everybody has a chance to speak that wants to, I do have a couple of lists of people we have already talked to, and we'll we'll present those for a motion to approve.

Okay.

And you've got a place for people to sign in, or we got staff that's going to be able to take their names and addresses so that we can uh help them through this process.

Yes, absolutely.

The the sign-in form is here.

Whitney did print some of those for us so we have that available.

Um but if people don't want to get up and speak tonight but would still like to visit with us, we'll definitely take their name and number down and and give them a call.

Okay.

And I'm gonna unfortunately put some people on the spot.

But can the staff please stand so that if someone wants doesn't want to speak publicly but they know who they can reach out to, these individuals would welcome an opportunity to visit with you.

Absolutely.

Yes.

Thank you.

And I'm sorry I put you on the spot, but that's what we're here for.

We sprint to the podium or do you call people out?

I'm gonna open up the public.

It's a fair question.

I'm gonna call public I'm gonna open up the public hearing at this point in time and all I ask is that we respectfully don't run somebody over.

You heard him.

So the public hearing is open.

Anyone who wish to speak, present your your question or comments.

The podium is open.

Do sign in with your address, and if you would like to have assessing visit with you uh to do an in-person valuation because that can be more accurate, they're willing to do that.

And what I can do, Commissioners, is hand this back and have people start filling it out.

Or do you want me to take a minute or two to fill it out here?

Because I just from a time just because if somebody fills it out and they haven't didn't get up and speak, then we don't have a clean record.

So we'll take our time.

We're patient.

Good evening, Commissioners.

My name is Steve McNichols.

My address is in South Bismarck.

It is said that in the absence of actual information, people will invent their own.

And I'm doubly happy to see the video that was shown here because that's what I feel the assessment department is doing with my property in particular.

Things cited in that video comparing a hot dog to caviar to stake, do I think what the city assessors are doing and taking no account into what kind of hot dog or caviar or stake it would be.

I would also be a tad offender if I'm the assessors of that video.

Because the expert in that video, the waiter whose job it is to know what was served and what the costs are, i.e.

the assessors, apparently had no clue.

So to me, that video is saying the assessors actually do not know how to do their job.

Things cited in that video with regards to age of the home, the neighborhood in question, updates to the property, age of the things within the property, all in my case have not changed since I bought the house a few years ago.

I understood the first assessment increase because the house I purchased had been empty for about a year, year and a half before I bought it.

And in that time they had done some updating, i.e., painting and some appliances.

They did no updates to the HVAC HVAC system, to the garage or opener or the garage, the exterior besides paint, nor the roof.

These are all things that come with a high degree of value in a property and are expensive to replace.

The first valuation increase made sense to me.

An empty home now occupied should have a stabilized rate.

That makes no that's no problem to me.

But the increase that I got in this letter, which is an additional 40,000, makes zero sense to me.

And I'm simply basing that not just on common sense, Commissioners, but on the video you just played.

There are no changes to my home.

Not one bit of paint, not one bit of flooring, not a new garage door opener, no new HVA system, no roof.

Heck, not even any new plants.

I just became an empty nester.

My job was to attend my children's sporting events.

I'm fortunate two of my three kids are competing in college.

I attend those.

I have made zero updates in my home.

And yet the city in its wisdom has decided that my home is worth more.

I do not understand the increase in valuation, again, based on the detailed points that video showed.

So I'm asking for my valuation to not change because there is no sense or logic behind it.

And simply stating it's what the market will bear is an inconvenient truth.

Because when interest rates were high for bank loans and people were not buying, the city did not seek to lower valuations to increase home sales.

But you seem very comfortable as an organized body increasing whenever it suits your need.

And as a taxpayer, I understand the need for taxes.

Nobody likes taxes.

Not even you guys.

But it's a reality.

We call it adulting.

But you don't get to make up the rules, change valuations for homeowners, when again, by the things you cite specifically in the video, are at least not occurring in my property.

I can't speak for anybody else, but I'm fairly certain had I added $40,000 of value to my home, I could tell you explicitly where it came from.

And somebody could walk into my home and say, yes, that is different.

That is new.

I see where you did there.

But and I invite an assessor to come back.

There have been no appreciable changes besides the occupancy of the person in it and the fact that my boys and my daughter don't live there anymore.

So there's more food in my fridge.

That's not a $40,000 tax increase.

I don't know what else you need me to say.

Um do I need to present this?

So I how do I know that you're hearing me and I want my rate to stay where it is?

Like what do I do next?

So we're we're hearing you.

Okay.

And I don't know if the assessor's office has been out to your house or if there was a they were right after I purchased it, which is which makes sense to me.

Okay, so since then, but this is the hard part for all of us, because when we go to sell it, we want to see that value go as high as it can, right?

So even though you've owned it for four years, has the property value gone up or down in value to market, I don't know that answer.

It may or may not have.

But that's that's the difficult part that the assessor's office has to try to deal with.

So they're willing to go out and re-look at your house, and if it hasn't had any changes to it, and the market would indicate it should stay the same.

It could so but they need to be able to, they need to put foot in your in your home, probably.

Come on back.

You can follow me there tonight.

One final thought on this, Commissioner, and and again, I think it's a uh somewhat ridiculous comparison, what the market will bear, all right, what's happening in the market, and again the things your department cited in the video we just watched.

If the market is at a higher rate, that does not mean it should impact every home.

Because if these changes are not made, again, things your video literally just cited.

If those changes are not made, and you're simply saying, well, because a house four blocks over sold for more, therefore years should, again, you're comparing a hot dog to caviar to stake, and taking in no way the account of, well, that's just stuff we squeeze from a fish, so we're calling it caviar.

Well, that looks like a round tube of meat, so guess what?

We think that's a hot dog.

And that's a flat brown thing.

We think that's a stake.

Unfortunately, your level setting against things that should not be compared, again, by the things you guys cite.

Thank you.

Um, is that what I do I do I bow?

I don't know.

No.

Please.

Please.

I have, Greg, so just relax.

Please please just thank you.

Your your information is and presentation is fine.

I would ask that you make sure that the assessing department has your address and uh right up here, sir.

Okay.

Then we'll we'll follow up.

Yep.

Okay.

I'm back.

Commissioner.

Mayor?

Thank you.

Mayor, commissioners, thanks for your time.

And Commissioner Zenkers had no you're back.

Yes, I am.

Um.

As you may hear from a lot of other people, I'm not pleased with the level of taxation on my property.

Although I understand the need for maintaining our city, it becomes a concern when the assessment levels appear to be unfair.

My North Hard restores taxed at a rate dramatically higher than my competitors or the neighboring buildings.

I'm taxed at nearly three times the rate of the box stores and approximately double the rate of buildings by size in the area.

I've prepared a list of my neighbors and competitors in the tax rate per square foot.

Note that they all pay around a buck fifty per foot or less.

Fleet farmers brand new and paying a dollar forty-five per foot square foot.

My taxes are at $2.87, double theirs.

I'm sure the city would love to be known to as friendly to small business, but if you're making it very difficult to compete with the chain stores that pay dramatically less.

I've heard from you before that the area type of construction and such make a difference.

Please look at the cash-wise numbers.

We share nearly the same lot, about the same age of building, exactly the same tip up construction.

They are 62% larger than my building, plus they have the full gas station, and their taxes are five grand less than mine.

They pay $1.67 per square foot.

I pay $287 per square foot nearly double.

By the comparison, also you notice that the value of my building is rated about half the value of Walmart or Monard's.

Those buildings are five, six, seven times bigger than mine, and I am evaluated at half.

The appearance to me is that the corporates have the influence to get lower evaluations.

I understand that I appear to be a bit paranoid, but look at the numbers and tell me why I would think anything else.

As nonprofits and government entities buy more properties in town and the state does residential buy downs, the local tax burden will increasingly shift to small businesses like mine.

Local residents are paying higher home taxes to subsidize these lower rates for these corporate pig boxes.

A few years ago you made an adjustment when we notice the same unfair evaluation to my South Neighborhood.

Before that adjustment, my taxes were way out of line down there.

As you can see on my example, you brought my South Store in line with Walmart and Target down south.

Now I am asking you in the interest of fairness that you bring my north property in line with the neighbors up there.

As a side light, I'm just curious how Basin Electric's beautiful cars only pay 70,000.

I pay 105,000.

And for some reason, MDU downtown pays nothing.

I don't understand that.

I'm not asking for special treatment.

Please look at the evidence in front of you and help make this fair.

For you folks in the audience, uh the tax rates that I've given our our representatives are Menards, Buck 35 a foot, Walmart, $1.14, Fleet Farm, a buck forty-five, Costco, $1.63, Sky Zone $145, Furniture, $125, Lowe is $125.

These are all people in my neighborhood.

All buildings similar to mine.

Tell me why I shouldn't feel like we've been singled out a little bit.

Any questions for me?

No, I may have questions for staff later because I appreciate the information.

Thanks for the attention.

Thank you for the opportunity.

It's important that we can say these things.

Gentlemen, thank you.

Evening, Commissioners.

Uh my name is Mike Boyd.

Um I purchased a home on uh Calgary Avenue at 622 Calgary Avenue on September 13th of 2024.

Um when I got this notice today, or uh on in February, I did notice that uh you had my house uh basically valued at 514,000 dollars for the year of 2025.

Um I purchased that house for 465 on September 13th of uh of 2024.

Um I have no idea why the value was fifty thousand higher right out of the gate.

And then this year you've increased it by another twenty-five thousand.

So apparently the value of my home has gone up about seventy five seventy-six thousand dollars in the matter of eighteen months.

I don't think that's right.

Um I did print out some comps off of uh uh Realtor.com, Homestock Com, Zillow, um, all of their home value estimates for my house, the actual house itself ranges somewhere between 490 and 500,000.

And you've got me listed at 5391.

Um I work as uh an insurance claim rep.

I like I write a lot of estimates on homes for total reconstruction on total fires or tornado losses, uh things like that.

Um I like to think that I'm a little bit savvy about real estate, but I'm nowhere near 76,000 good in 18 months.

So I'd like to have somebody come out to my house.

No improvements have been made.

I've got cracking tiles, I've got a 10-year-old house.

There's absolutely no way it went up in that kind of value, respectfully.

Um, so I'd like to have somebody come out and take a look at that.

Um, I'm not a great public speaker, so my handwriting is a little bit shaky here.

I'm a little bit nervous as you can tell.

Just you can just stop, they'll they'll sit with get your information from you.

Wonderful.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Well, mayor and commissioners, my name is Tim Tucson.

I live at 3211 North 19th Street, which is in Pebble Creek edition.

I received your letter advertised or advising me myself of the raise in my the assessed value of my property to of thirty-five thousand eight hundred dollars, and noting the date of the hearing to appeal.

The letter did not mention any place that we could call and discuss this with the assessment office.

It said, if you want to appeal, come to the meeting.

So that's what I'm doing.

If this stands, and you note and on the spreadsheet that I provided for from you, in 2023, my property went up $32,800.

In 2024, it was $9700, and now in 2526, $35,800, which means in the last three years, if this assessment proves valuable, my house value went up $78,300 in three years.

Um I think that when a letter is sent like this, I really think it deserves a letter of explanation too as to why this increase occurs instead of just showing this is the old assessment, this is the new assessment, that's it.

There's one that's three houses to the north of me, and I know that sold for well over 450,000.

Why do I know this?

Because I went on on the page that told me to go to in Zillow, and believe me, that house is in no comparison to mine.

That house has fully bricked, it has two great big stall garages.

It has the bottom basement, is a full home in itself.

Full kitchen, everything.

Just like what it is upstairs.

My cousin's home, three blocks to the north, or to the east, excuse me, on Nevada, and I know she got over 450,000 for her house because she moved to Fargo.

But her house in comparison to mine, she has a three-stall garage.

It's a story and a half house, four levels, a sunroom, large backyard, not comparable to mine on 19th Street.

As a matter of fact, you know.

Amen.

Good for them.

You know, now we're seeing some kind of development on Calgary Avenue and behind the apartments on North 19th.

And uh I know at one time that was commercial lot.

Now it looks like it's either going to be residential housing or apartment building.

It's like, you know, comparing my house to your house, it's just like apples and oranges.

You know, you can't put them in the same basket.

Um you realize what how busy 19th Street is.

I doubt it.

I mean, today we saw three cops there, which is three cops that we haven't seen for a long time.

But come on 19th from 6 30 in the morning to about 9 o'clock.

We have traffic.

We we live, I suppose two and a half blocks away from Century.

We have cars lined up beyond our place to the north.

And then coming here at five o'clock, it's a nightmare to get out of my driveway because I can't.

When I spend five minutes waiting just to get out of my driveway.

I mean, 19th is the new 7th Street or State Street.

You know, it's the quickest way to get out to Walmart to get those bargains.

Um the other thing is, you know, my wife and I were retired.

We depend on Social Security, and my retirement to pay my bills.

I get no increase in my retirement, and the minimal increase that we got for Social Security, Medicare, and our insurance costs covered all of that little cola increase that we got, our COVID increase.

It was ridiculous.

Um I guess we need to quit raising the assessed values.

You know, you see every year, since 2000, there were three years that w there was none.

No increases whatsoever.

And then all of a sudden then everything started going up.

You know, is it is it the city's plan to drive us senior citizens out of our homes?

Because it's getting to the point where you know, I we set aside money each month just to pay our taxes.

And when you increase the assessed value of a house, yes, it does influence your property taxes.

So don't tell me, oh, that's not gonna not gonna affect it.

One positive thing I I have noted on your on the spreadsheet that I gave you, that the mills in some cases have gone down, which is nice.

I mean, thank you for that.

But it is not a seller's market out there, it's a buyer's market.

You know, my cousin's house was on, she was lucky that she got it sold because she lives in on Nevada Street.

That street is not as busy as what 19th Street is.

You know, you guys got to start taking that into consideration.

We were assessed two years ago, and the lady she came out and she said, Oh, I remember you.

We were here two years ago prior to that.

I'm going, really?

Okay, so what's up?

Oh, but we have to assess property every two years.

I'm going, really?

You have how many assessors?

There's two hundred thousand homes in Bismarck?

Boy, that's awful darn good if you can do that.

Boy, you guys must be out assessing 15, 20 homes every day or more.

You know, I guess, you know, besides our regular maintenance, and we got hail damage on our windows in our house, and you know darn well that if you don't replace those, either the insurance rates go up, or they say, Oh, well, we're not going to insure you anymore.

You know, so general maintenance, you know, like I I told the assessor, and I was here the other time in 2023, and I I told you guys right off the bat, you know, I had to replace my front deck.

I almost fell through it.

I'm not a heavy person, you know, but then when I and my uh guy were were taking it off, and the guy said, uh, this isn't even built the code.

And you said, I don't think that was the code when your house was built in 97, 98 either.

So shortcuts were taken, and now we end up paying for it because we gotta do regular assessment or regular improvements on our house.

All in all, no, I'm I'm not in favor of you know, sure, I'd like to get 300, 400,000 out of my house.

But nobody's gonna do it.

They look at the street, they come by it at 8 o'clock in the morning or 5 o'clock in the afternoon, they go, No, I can't, we we don't want this house.

I can't even cross the street to go get my mail without fear of getting hit.

You know, it's a good thing I have my cane.

You know, I have a heavier one that I feel like throwing it at some people because do they stop?

No.

One guy said, Well, use the crosswalk.

Um, there is no crosswalks on North 19th Street.

So I walk, so I'm straight across from my mailbox, so they can see me.

So I guess all in all, no, I'm I'm not happy with this large increase.

I talked to my neighbors around me, and they felt the same way.

But none of them are here because one has to work and and one said, Well, I'll get the information from you when you get home.

And that, you know, which is not the right way to do it, but you know, thank you for your time and listening to the gripe of all of us.

But you know, I I guess, you know, all in all, we need to, you know, I I know it's hard to budget for the city of Bismarck, you know, but my checkbook can only take so much.

You know, and pretty soon it's gonna go, oh, there's no money in it.

You know, I don't want to have to sell my house.

You know, I I'm I'm approaching 70 years old.

I may not look it, but I'm so I will be 70, you know.

And I don't think, you know, I don't want to sell my house, but you know, I might have to sell it and move out of Bismarck.

You know, I thought I thought Bismarck was a friendly city and wanted to invite people to come in, and that a young couple they can't do it unless they have darn good jobs, and both are working and no kids, you know, think about a brand new house.

They got to pay specials on that too.

It's just not the land value, and our land value, just because we have a house on it, you know, our house was built in 98, 97 by Walkers, you know, and I asked Chad at the time, what what is the lot worth about?

Oh, he said about 60,000.

Now, well, that's a lot.

You know, and since then we've expanded north and beyond.

But, you know, I I I guess you know, and and the other thing is too, on North 19th, the city gave us this wonderful present called assessments, our specials on it that we have to pay.

And you know, this is the third time that 19th Street has been repaved.

You know, and the third time that I'm paying specials on it, you know, and that's getting ridiculous, you know.

Thank you for your time.

Uh my name is Marie Zon.

Um, I am here to discuss the um real estate assessment letter that I got.

Um my property is you know not valued the as what other people's are.

Um, but an increase is still an increase.

Um the originally when I purchased the property in 2025, um, you know, during the video, or it might have been the presentation afterwards, and I I keep hearing this like there's a 90, like a 10% value from the assessed value to the market value.

to discuss the um real estate assessment letter that I got um my property is you know not valued the as what other people's are um but an increase is still an increase um the originally when I purchased the property in 2025 um you know during the video or it might have been the presentation afterwards and I I keep hearing this like there's a 90 like a 10% value from the assessed value to the market value they need to be in this window and nowhere can I find this um language in like the century code and I I search for it and I cannot find like this this number of whatever that's supposed to be that's I mean ideally the market value should be higher than what the assessed value is but when the market value ends up being lower than what the assessed value is um that's kind of where the concern comes to me so when I first purchased the property that was the case that the the sale um the list price was actually less than what the tax assessed value was so um uh shortly a month thereafter I did contact uh the assessor's department to come out and review the property um because there had been no improvements done um just to maybe they hadn't been there for a while just to take a look at it and see like is this truly what it should be um I you know I can't remember and maybe fail my memory as to um what was found I don't know that I ever received any correspondence like it it is what it is um but the um and I will back up that the uh list price was two percent or the assessed value from the tax for for taxes was two percent higher than what um the listing price was um and so then in 25 it went up the value increase another one percent and that would have been based on probably the valuation that I had had done that February.

Now the the rate you know the value has gone up again um and if that 90 to 100% of value of what it's supposed to be on me I I'm not gonna argue that that's it's like about within five percent of what Zillow would say the hundred you know what Zillow says the market value is is about within five percent of what the assessed value is um which I think that's where we want to be um but the problem comes in when the video itself said it should be fair and equitable and that is where the issue comes in is that that is not the case because I did look at the houses that are on my street I know the video assessed or addressed that you can't look at that but what I did find when I when I looked at that it was that um three of their there's 10 houses on the street three of the houses fall within that 10% variance and three of them are between 10 and 20 percent so what the market says it's worth versus what it's assessed at it's a 20 10 to three of them are 10 to 20 percent so that tells me that why are some within that 10% and some aren't um and then I went further and looked at came off of that street and looked at properties that had sold within the last um I went about 14 months and I analyzed about 18 properties that were um in a similar um size home but I looked kind of similar neighborhoods but not you know not complete completely the same um and so based on that there were and I hope these people are here today that their properties market value is less than what the assessed value is and I would certainly be here if that was the case I'm here my because mine is like very close to zero but um again there were three of those properties were within that 10% window and every six of them were between 10 and 20 percent two were between 20 and 30 percent and two of them had a um greater than a 30% variance between the market value and the assess value.

So I don't know if they use computers I don't I don't know what's done but to me that is not fair that is not equitable because to me the properties are not looked at the same across the board.

So there you know they were again out to the property my property February of 25 there hasn't been anything done to it.

So I don't know if it's just an explanation of the properties that I identified here to why they're valued that way.

I don't know if they're all being looked at to me they should be a lot closer.

So that is all I wanted to say I have my information here and they can contact me if they wish to speak with me.

Thank you.

This will be short and sweet.

It sounds like a broken record.

Um our house was built in 2020.

Can you give us your name, please?

I'm sorry.

My name is Leslie Vence.

And we live in Heritage Park, and my husband and I moved into our or bought our home in 21.

Was built in 20.

Um, as others have said, we have done nothing to it.

The assessment this year from last year is 104,000 more, which is over a 15% increase.

Our realtor, who is one of the top realtors in Bismarck, sends us an assessment about every quarter.

I just received it.

It is 235,500 less than the assessed value.

So that's all I wanted you to know.

I I will put my name down to have somebody take a look at this again.

We'd be happy to.

Okay, if it's on there, I can thank you.

Good evening.

So we are Ray and Catherine Eden Home.

We live up on Marsh Hawk Drive in Northwest Bismarck.

So we bought that home less than four years ago.

It was a new build.

And so not being any older than that, we have an assessed value increase of almost 40,000.

Nothing's been changed there.

So we would appreciate someone from the assessor's office conversation there.

So anyway, that's all I have.

Everybody else has spoken.

I don't really have anything additional to add.

So as long as makes your name and phone number so they can reach out to you.

We've got it here.

Thank you, Stein Links.

Yep, don't have it from here.

Pardon me?

Yeah, if you put it on the list, if you put on the list there.

Um or you can speak to them.

Hi, my name is Kim Losis.

I live on uh 4601 Kites Lane.

Um I did speak to people at the assessor's office.

Kellen, is he here?

Killian's not.

Killian?

Spent a lot of time with me.

He did a great job.

Uh, was very thankful for his information.

Uh, very helpful.

Um my question is kind of different.

Maybe I am wondering one thing that this letter doesn't show is how much is assessed for the property and how much is asset assessed for the residential structure.

Now, if I I check my tax bills every year and I can see what my property is and what my structure is.

Well, our property value, our uh taxes as a whole in this current year went up nine percent.

Last year it was three.

Um last year the lot price went up ten thousand dollar value.

This year, the lot price went up an additional twenty-four thousand dollars.

And I I just would like to know how that is determined, right?

How how they determine the increase in the lot because I understand the value of the house is gonna go up every year, most likely, right?

Just a lot.

And when I just pulled down, um, that is making our lot 122,000.

Okay, when I looked at lots in Eagle Crest 6, there's only a few lots left.

They're not the most desirable lots.

They're priced at 79.

Okay, and then when I pulled um, I understand that the only lots that are being sold are owned by one person, and he can make the price whatever he likes on the north side, right?

Knutson's got most of the land, and Knutson puts his price on there.

And Knutson puts his price on there.

Um and he's a good business man, good for him, I mean.

South of us is um Elk Ridge.

We are not Elk Ridge.

They have some different amenities, nicer mailboxes, nicer lights, all little goodies, right?

Their lots down the block from me for a ranch paddy home like I have, similar size lot, are go from 999 to 1049.

With one being 124, but it's like a corner lot with uh kind of a coolie in the back.

So I I'm just curious as to how they got the value, and it's pretty much for our whole subdivision.

Um because I did check last year, pretty much everyone's was 98 in our subdivision.

Um I did check Horizon Heights across Ash Cooley.

Theirs were $10,000 less than ours.

Eagle Crest, ours were six, the other Eagle Crests were similar.

So I'm assuming based on what I heard from my neighbors.

I'm assuming that all of the lots in my neighborhood went up, not just mine.

Um and I'm feeling like it was similar.

And I'm just wondering how that was determined.

Yeah, perfect.

Hi, my name is Matthew Weigel.

Um I've been in my place for 21 years.

Um according to the value of my house has increased over 200 and some thousand dollars.

Right now, for the current year assessment on properties that have been sold for the last three years around my place has not gone above two hundred and ten thousand, and you guys are valuing my property at two hundred and ninety-five thousand.

There hasn't been a property in this development that has sold for over two hundred and ten since I've moved in there.

I'd like to know how that is.

Secondly, um, your so-called uh assessors.

I haven't been reached out to talk to an assessor since I moved in in 2004.

And at that time I was told that their hours don't correspond with my hours, and that I just have to deal with how they assess my property.

So I'm wondering how this is going to work because I'm seeing these assessors sitting right here.

Hours past what I was told their hours of work are, but yet they refuse to show up.

I was uh told that I can leave my house unlocked so they can come through and search my house while I'm not around at any time, and they will lock up after they leave.

So I'm just wondering how this actually works according to your guys' ideas on how I'm supposed to let a stranger into my house without anybody around.

They shouldn't be in your house without you there.

I'm just wondering how that I'm wondering.

I was told that by the assessing company.

So I'm just wondering how this is going to work.

So I can put my name and number on here, but they can't reach me until after five o'clock.

My hours are 5 a.m.

to 5 p.m.

I can't get reached between those hours.

They refuse to do anything after 5 p.m.

or before 5 a.m.

But yet it's 618 right now.

And these assessors are sitting right here.

So you can tell me that they don't work past five at 4.30, 5 o'clock.

So I'm just wondering how this is all kind of going.

And with the 21 years that I've been in my property, I have an update in my basement, I haven't updated any floors.

I've had to replace my uh roof is it.

And they're telling me that my house has increased in value over 270 some thousand dollars in the 21 years that I've been there.

So I'm just wondering on how they're getting these numbers when I haven't been talked to any assessors in 21 years.

So I'm just wondering where they're coming up with these numbers.

And is it just a feeling that they're having?

Is it where they're getting these numbers at on how my property is supposed to be valued at over 300,000 when nothing sold over 210?

So I'm just kind of wondering where they're getting their numbers at and what's actually going on and how this all is working out.

Because as far as I've I know where they're getting their numbers at.

Alison, you'll make sure somebody can work with his hours, please.

Okay.

Thanks.

Good evening.

I have a hard time wrapping my head around all these big numbers because our unit just was assessed $20,300 more.

That's $5,000 more.

Would you mind mentioning your name, sir?

My name is Richard Peck.

Thank you.

That's $5,000 more than we paid for our first house.

So I have a hard time understanding.

But uh what concerns me, are we how are our grandchildren and our great grandchildren ever going to afford a house?

Because with the assessment that they have, I live in a four-plex.

And with what our fourplex is going to come down to is going to be assessed $81,200.

There's eight units in our eight buildings in our association.

My wife and I are both retired.

We're both in our late 80s.

The only thing we have to look forward to is when we come out of our driveway.

I can turn left and go to the Baptist home, or I can turn right and go to the cemetery.

Now I can I also have a choice now of going down to the new uh funeral home.

It's uh I just wish that somebody would come up and take a look at our unit.

I hate to degrade it, but when they built it, they only have it, they only had to put in six foot foundations.

Like with this heavy wool snow we just had, it will melt down and it will seep up underneath inside.

We have dirt for crawl spaces.

Uh it just I just can't understand how they do that.

They're also building row houses behind us, they squeeze it in on the little patch of.

And if that lowers the value of our unit, are they going to drop our assessment accordingly?

That's one question I have.

So I've asked them to come up and take a look at our unit and uh check it out.

And uh I hope things can get straightened out.

We're also fighting because we have to replace Nebraska Drive.

Our association was just assessed 100 percent of the work that they did.

Now they're gonna do some more work, and we have to pay another 50 percent.

The eight units across the street didn't pay a dime.

But that's for another area.

So it's with what they're evaluating the new work they're gonna put, it's gonna cost 150 percent.

I don't understand that.

You have a look on your face too.

I know you're confused too.

You shouldn't be I am really confused.

So do you have the special assessment district for that?

Do you have the special assessment district or what letter you got for that?

I have the engineering portfolio.

And we don't hear we don't uh assess anything a hundred percent.

So do you have it?

Is that the special?

Here's what she gave me from upstairs, it's a hundred percent.

This is zero.

Here's the ones that's marked 100 percent.

And the brand new uh uh apartment buildings they built on the corner aren't even included in.

I'll have some, I'll verify that and then I'll have someone from engineering call you too, sir.

Okay, I appreciate that.

What was your name again, sir?

Richard Peck.

Richard Peck.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Patty Jensen from Tyoga.

Um we do have a condo that we purchased down here in 23.

And I guess, just like everyone else, I guess I could just say that I don't believe the current value is what we could sell our property for.

I think basically, you know, they have honestly never been able to get a hold of us to to actually look at it.

So I think we did have them look at it in 23 when we purchased it because the value immediately skyrocketed.

And it's like, no, you guys come down and look at this.

It was built in 1977.

We still have orange carpet.

We still have all the original hardware, everything.

I mean, she took really good care of it, but everything's from 1977.

So and I think what happened is they uh properties similar sold, which was is beautiful, gorgeous.

And they just flat took a 93 percent and said that's the value of ours.

But I would like mine to look like that, but it doesn't.

So if they could look at it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

My name is Deb Hayden.

Um can I ask how far out your scheduling?

I mean, are we talking if we request someone to come look?

Is it a week, two weeks, six months, nine months?

When you have availability, we can typically find somebody who can come out.

Relatively soon.

Yeah, relatively soon.

Yeah.

And I should have done this in past years.

Um we live on Boulder Ridge Road right off of 43rd Avenue, and we're in a twin home.

There are eight identical or close to identical twin homes.

And one just two away from me has been for sale off and on, mostly on, for sale by owner, and through a realtor for the past two years and hasn't sold.

That one even has stone countertops.

We have for Micah yet.

Um we've been there for 19 and a half years since it was built.

And even from 2022, the value of our home, the assessed value was 334 in four years.

It supposedly went up a hundred and ten thousand dollars.

So that one is for sale currently for the last over a year.

For sale for three ninety-five, and I'm being told mine is worth 444.

It's there's it makes no sense to me.

So I'm putting my information on here, and I guess I would like to have someone come, and I can always call on schedule too, but um I am can be around just about any time.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Appreciate the time to to come and let us speak with you guys about the things that we've been experiencing with the property uh valuations.

Um kind of like what everybody else is said.

Your name.

Oh, sorry, Ben Chambers.

I live at 2245 Grant Drive.

So my house, uh we we are first-time homeowners since 2017.

Uh when we bought the house, it's a three-bedroom ranch, small backyard.

And in the nine years going on, 10 years that we've lived there, again, kind of like with a lot of what other people said have made no major improvements to the home.

It's pretty much the same as is since we got there.

And and my concern is just the how quick the property value has gone up in such a short amount of time.

From 2017 to what my most recent tax assessment shows, you know, 2017 when we purchased this house purchased the house at about 260.

In 23, it only made it up to about 285, 285,000.

So that's about maybe a 225, almost $30,000 increase right there with the letter that I just got.

Um just for this year from $25 to $26 is $33,000, uh about $33,000, $34,000.

So in just one calendar year, it's gone up how much my home increase from 2017 to 2023.

And then if you count in the year previous from 2024 to now, if this if this proposement goes through is about $52,000 in two calendar years.

So my concern is just how fast it's gone up.

Um I watch my property, you know, real estate assessments from year to year.

And when you know when I see the averages on the presentation where valuations have gone up four, five, six percent across the entire city as a whole, I wish that mine was in that category.

You know, but for the last two years now, if I if I add up all those dollars, that's almost a 20 percent increase on my home in just two calendar years.

So that's that's one of my biggest concerns, just the short amount of time that it's taken to get to that point.

And the second one is in the nine years that I've lived here, I've I've never had anybody reach out to me or contact me to do a walk through my home.

In fact, on Zillow, Trulia and Realtor, my my house is actually listed incorrectly in terms of bedrooms and bathrooms.

It says I live in a five-bedroom, two-bathrouse, and I live in a three-bedroom, uh, two-bathroom house, you know.

Um the rooms that they're probably thinking are bedrooms have no egress and the windows are not escapable, like at all.

So I I think there's an incorrect listing for my home, and somehow I just don't know in the last two years how that has just exploded the way that it has.

So, you know, I appreciate the time getting to come here and talk about these things.

I just want to know I mean, I think the presentation did a pretty good job of telling me who I need to talk to in order to get that corrected.

But just the also as a new time homeowner, uh, you know, when we get North Dakota legislative tax relief on our property taxes, and I was really excited to see that.

You know, when I see these assessments come in, and the number does factor in at the end of the day, you know, minus the mill levy, you know.

When all those numbers add up, it seems like, oh, we got all this, you know, state legislative tax relief, but now it's getting chewed up by my property valuation that just blew up in the last two years.

And so it just it seems a little conspicuous that the property went up that much right around the time all of these legislative things happened.

So for a new time homeowner, it's kind of concerning that our things that are supposed to be making us feel better and you know, being able to do all the things that we want to do as a family and you know, fiscally planning for families, you know.

Um it seems like we're you know, the phrase of paying Peter to pay Paul, you know.

So um I just I appreciate the time to come and talk.

Uh hopefully somebody will reach out to where we can get those numbers a little bit closer to the averages that were that were listed in the presentation.

So thank you for your time.

You've got your name in common down, so yes, right here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Shorty sporty's have to move this down.

Good morning.

Good evening, Commissioners.

Mary Schmidt's I'm Sandy Bates.

I live at 931 North First Street.

And my valuation went up $15,000.

I understand many others went up a lot more.

Uh my concern is I talked with all my neighbors surrounding me.

I live on the extra wide double long block.

Um there's only went up three to six thousand dollars each.

I live in a small 1953 ranch.

I still have original windows that I'm you know, trying to replace.

So I guess I'm wondering about how it was decided.

I believe after speaking with my neighbors, I'm one of the very few who a couple of years ago let someone from the city into my home to look around.

Um so I guess I'm just wondering how is it a percentage across the block?

There were two homes that sold on my block.

One I felt sold incredibly overvalue.

It was appraised at 253,000 and sold for around 360 some thousand.

Not a lot of work had been done to it.

Single car garage, I have a double car garage.

I shouldn't be saying these things because now my property will get more expensive.

Sorry.

Uh but I just um curious.

Like this one gets something, this one doesn't, this one gets something.

And the property just to the north of me, I think went up six thousand dollars.

It's twice the size of my property.

So I'm just um curious as to how and when there is an inflated sale, because the house behind me was abandoned and trashed for many years.

It's been purchased and they're flipping it.

It sold for $264,000 if it sold that listing price.

It was uh uh foreclosure, I'm pretty sure.

Um but mine went up to $269,000.

Um I'm just curious how it gets decided.

Um when people don't let you in, I I mean I it's it's I understand it's their choice, but it just seems a little confusing, and like this gentleman said, our property taxes, we get a rebate, and it comes out of the other pocket to figure it out.

I am a strong supporter of public services, and I appreciate all the things the city does for us, but it just seems a little disparative as to how and where things get decided.

Thank you for thank you very much for allowing us.

Yep.

Is there anyone else who would like to speak?

Mr.

Mayor, just a heads up, you do have one online as well.

Hi, man.

My name is My name is Art Kunans.

I bought my house in 1968.

I paid 21,900 for it.

You've been cranking it up every year.

Last year you had it at 267,000.

This year you cranked it up another 27,500.

It's 294 5,000 now.

If you think it's worth 295,000, I'll give you a deal of selling to you for 275.

16 years ago I put new siding on.

Fourteen years ago I put new windows on.

Nothing else has ever been done since.

Nobody's ever been in my house and assessed it.

So at 86 years old, I'm getting a little tired quicker, but this is really tired me out this year.

I worked for 47 years and I saved money so I could live after I retired.

Now I'm spending it on taxes.

I'm beginning to think maybe we should have a new election and get people voted in that spend a little bit better.

A couple of years ago, or a few years ago, they did my driveway in front of my place.

Charged me $7100.

I only got a 65-foot lot.

They cracked my sidewalk when they did the apron thing.

They replaced it, but now it's cracked again.

Now am I supposed to go pay for this?

So that's all I have to say.

Please uh make sure your name and phone number is down so that we can get out there and I I want to make sure, by the way, and hopefully people did this, but if you had didn't apply for the primary residence credit, you should every year because that number would cover a fair amount of property value, actually.

Or there's other residential credits, residential credits as well.

No, it's the primary residence credit.

The home store credit is tough to get to, I agree.

Thank you.

Thank you for indulging me again.

Um from what you just said, is it my understanding that your point of view is that we'll get a tax credit that will replace the assessment you're going to increase our property?

I I didn't no, that is not what I said.

I just want to make sure everybody remembers to apply for the credit because it's sixteen hundred dollars from the state that goes to reduce.

No, no, it covers certain val a certain value.

Right.

Okay.

I didn't say it covered the increase.

Right.

But it it sort of seems to me like you're saying we're accepting this because you're getting the or we're wanting this because you're getting this.

And I understand that that you know you have a cap on your mills that you can now assess and collect and whatever, but it just seems like there's a lot of disconnect between what the state is doing and what the cities are doing and what the county is gonna do.

And it's really um difficult to manage some of that as a property owner.

I'm I'm a single person.

I've paid every single bill my whole life.

Not my whole life.

My parents helped me a little bit along the way, but it just I don't know.

It's a little frustrating to have Peter Pay and Paul and all those things going on.

I understand that.

I was just wanting to make it I was only making a point of make sure people because there are people unfortunately I've seen who did not apply for it.

I I understand that, but also I know that that $1,600 is on the edge of going away from what the way the legislators are talking, because they don't have the funding to do the certain things that they're talking about doing that the sixteen hundred dollars isn't gonna last forever.

Yeah, I can't speak to that.

You look like you're gonna say something, Commissioner Zenker.

No really want to, though, I know it.

Uh thank you for your time.

And I'm not a lousy speaker too, but uh I probably have the oldest home of anybody here, and I'm also just so on the call me horse.

Yeah, I just want to get on the record.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh my home is 1129 North 18th Street.

That house was moved out there in 1946.

Two-story by Simley Junior High.

Uh I bought that in 1977.

2023, our fine young folks behind us mediated my property to 450,000.

State farm canceled my insurance that year because I was insuring it for 250,000.

The department behind us, when I called them, said it was because of comparables.

There isn't another two-story home other than the apartment houses around me.

There's some split levels, but the reason they increase by over 130,000 was comparables.

So that being said, here we are two years later, and I'm getting another $9,000 increase.

I am self-employed, I can afford it, but I had to adjust my insurance down.

They wanted to do full value.

I just went with replacement value.

So I put it at the 250, not what we have on here.

So that being said, in the last two years, I've had a 200,000 increase in my home value.

So at that time, they asked if I wanted an assessment.

It was too late because I'd already paid my taxes.

So we can come in.

Nothing's been improved in the house in over 35 years.

I have the same cedar siding on it for 40 years that my dad and I put on it.

Basement was remodeled 35 years ago.

There's nothing been done to it in 35 years, but we have an increase of value.

When I talked to whatever gentleman it was at your office, I said, if you can find me somebody to buy this for 400,000, let it go.

So I had uh my insurance my salesman that helped me buy my extra lot.

He gave me a value of 240,000 on my home currently in the last year.

So I'm being in tax for 450,000 now.

So that's all I have to say.

So yeah, my name, we can talk.

So the only other thing I don't like is I have this is on Revere Drive, and I get to spend 13 million for the detour repair.

So thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else who'd like to speak?

Okay, I we have someone online.

It's all my name is Jennifer.

Jennifer.

Hello.

Uh good evening, and thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

Um, my name is Jennifer Cruth.

I'm representing Network Bismarck uh LLC.

Uh regarding the assessment of 400 East Broadway.

Um as the Grand Pacific Center.

Uh, this is a 95,000 square foot incre income producing multi-tenant office building.

Um, and for properties of this scale and complexity, uh, the income approach is really the most reliable, appropriate method of valuation.

Investors, when they purchase office buildings based on their ability to generate income, not on isolated sales that do not reflect the subject size, risk profile and operating realities of the property.

One of the core challenges in this appeal is really the lack of truly comparable sales in the Bismarck office market because of market conditions over the past several years due to highest higher interest rates, limited buyer activity, constrained capital markets.

And because of this, the sales comparison approach really simply cannot be a reliable indicator of the value for a 95,000 square foot asset.

Despite this, the assessor's office has relied on three sales, um, two of which are under 17,000 square feet.

Uh these are fundamentally different types of properties.

Um they don't share the subject's size, tenancy structure, vacancy exposure, or operational risk.

Um a small single story office building cannot be used to value a 7,000 square foot single story office building cannot be used to value a 95,000 square foot downtown office tower.

Um this market does not treat these assets as comparable and neither should the valuation in our opinion.

Um and I understand that there is the issue with the lack of availability, available information to the assessor's office.

Um therefore we have provided a um the email that we've already sent into the assessor's office um that supports our valuation.

Um when we analyze the subject utilizing the income income approach using the actual rents, actual vacancy, actual expenses, um, and a market supported capitalization rate, the income simply does not support the assessed value of the property.

Um the implied capitalization rate at the assessor's value is well below that of which market would require for a Class B downtown office building in today's environment, um, which means the assessment assumes a level of stability and investor demand that just simply does not exist.

Um we also identified um a potential significant error in the assessor's building profile um that we would like to discuss as well.

Uh the property itself contains about 95,000 rentable square feet, uh not gross, um, as it is an income producing property.

Um as confirmed um by the rent role and the leasing documents that we submitted.

Um however, the assessor's office is valuing the property using more than 138,000 square feet, uh, which is an overstatement of more than 43,000 square feet.

Um when properties trade on the market, they don't they don't trade on a gross building square footage, they trade on a rentable square footage because they are income-producing properties.

And no income-producing property can be accurately valued when the foundational square footage is overstated by nearly 50%.

Um with that in mind, um, for these reasons, we respectfully request that the board give primary weight to our income approach, or the assessor's office give primary weight to our income approach and correct the square footage error to ensure a fair and equitable evaluation for this property.

And that is all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else wishing to speak?

If not, I will close a public hearing, but I do want to make sure if there's anyone who did not speak but would like to have their property looked at from a value standpoint that you get your name and number to the assessor's team.

So I'll close public hearing.

Elison.

Just a couple things I'd like to comment on from some of the information that was shared.

Um the notice that everyone received, it is a state form.

It's brand new this year.

I can't guarantee the state won't change its format between now and next year.

Um so I know that maybe it didn't have all the information people were looking for.

It does not have the breakdown of land and improvement.

It just has the total value.

Um we're happy to share that information with anybody who's looking for that on their specific property, but I just wanted to share that that is a state form, and we just we didn't have control over how it was laid out.

And the information that's included on there is just the values.

Commissioner.

So on that on that note, Ellison, um, could you there's gotta be somebody you can talk to to adjust that form so there's more information or pertinent information to each city you're counting or whatever, right?

There's we you know the our association that we have through North Dakota does share information with the state and and we have contacts with the state, and so the more information they get from not just us but other jurisdictions that there's been concern with that.

I think there's a likelihood that they they could adjust it because it was brand new in the limited time frame that they had to come up with the information.

I think that's probably why it seems so somewhat simple.

Right.

But any feedback we can give them, I think is special.

Okay.

Yeah, and I think if we hit a point where we know what that form looks like and it doesn't include a please contact us if you have questions here how to reach us, like if that can be an insert or something.

I know it it adds to the workload and stuff, but I think that like to hear that they don't know that they can contact you before coming here to ask their questions, I think is another like roadblock for them.

So absolutely.

We did have a spot where we could put like our office information with our phone number and our email address, and that was on there, but there wasn't enough room in that space to say please contact us.

But we can definitely um add an insert next year if the form's the same and we don't have the ability to say that to them.

Um let's see.

There was a comment about MDU and basin and the amount of tax that they pay.

Um doesn't pay a property tax.

We don't value them because they're centrally assessed.

So the state will assess them, they'll pay a tax to them, and then it gets distributed to the jurisdictions.

Um basin, I think part of that is centrally assessed and part of it is locally assessed.

So there is a difference on some of those types of properties.

Um anything that the state deems they should be centrally assessing, the jurisdictions will still receive tax dollars from those.

Um, but our office is not the one who will put the value on that because they are looked at a little differently than um what we would do for real property.

So I just wanted to share that as well.

Um the comment about the fact that we've told property owners that just leave your house open and we'll come out and take a look.

We we don't do that.

We we want somebody there, um, typically the owner.

Um we don't go in if it's children um and their parents aren't home.

We we never will enter a home, an occupied home without a property owner there to give us the permission.

They don't have to follow us through the house if they don't want to, but they're they're there, they're in the home and they've they've allowed us in.

Um and then the the 90 to 100 percent, the comment about it not being found in century code, that's that's true, it's not in century code.

It is something that the state board of equalization sets every year and allows.

Um I think at one point in time it was 95 to 105%, and in the time that I've been in North Dakota, it's always been 90 to 100, but whatever the state board decides, that tolerance level is um, and that tolerance level is overall, so it's our total valuations, not individual property valuations.

So some of those because we are mass appraisal could be more or less.

Um we're always happy to come out and take a look, make sure our data is accurate and and verify, you know that the value we've set is based on what's actually there.

And yeah, again, with the the value increases, um, especially with that House Bill 1176 and the fact that those budgets do have a cap now short of growth.

Your value increase is never gonna be the same increase you're gonna see in your taxes, typically.

Um and so I I understand that's always frustrating to property owners, but our value does have to be market value and what it what it should be able to sell for on the market.

We don't we don't even think about what the tax might be because that's not part of our process.

Um but I I do know if we give an estimate, we're gonna use the most current mill levy, you know, and we're giving somebody a tax estimate.

If their value went up, it's gonna seem like a big estimate, but that doesn't mean that that mill levy is gonna stay the same in the next year.

And because of the time frame when all of this stuff happens, um, there's no way for us to know exactly what all of the jurisdictions might do with their budgets and how that could change the total mill levy.

So Commissioner Zaker.

Mayor Commissioners Allison, so could you explain how the communication process goes with property owners if they reach out to you?

I mean, you got a whole list that you're gonna contact, right?

Um there were some concerns about uh responses or those types of things.

Um I mean, and there's some that really need to be looked at here as well.

Um so how we how are you how do you communicate with them?

Do you provide a letter?

I mean the other thing is how how do we know that that communication takes place too?

Anyone who um we have on our lists that I'll ask for approval on or who appeared tonight, they will receive a letter from our office um letting them know what happened at the meeting this evening, if their valuation changed or not.

If for the people who appeared tonight that we haven't been able to take a look at their properties, um and we're gonna still go out and talk to them, we're gonna call them, we're gonna schedule an appointment, we'll visit with them, and then if we need to make an adjustment, we're gonna make that at the county board level, so then they'll receive a letter from them as well.

If our information is correct and we have you know sales available to say that our value is accurate, we're gonna let them know that when we talk to them because we always call back and visit with the property owner after we've made a visit to their home to verify our data so we can tell them if we are making an adjustment or not.

If we can't get a hold of them, we leave a message um and and hope that they're gonna call us back, but not everybody always does, and you know, with the one gentleman who's not available between 5 a.m.

and 5 p.m., I will reach out to him after five and I will go out and look at his property after five.

I'll I'll make that happen.

Um it's not typical for our office to do that because we do work normal eight to five office hours.

Um, but he is concerned with his valuation and he's willing to let us in, so I will find the time to connect with him and make sure I can get out there and do that.

So anybody who has called, if they are concerned and they don't like what we've um what we're recommending, they still can go to the county board the first of June.

I would highly recommend if they don't agree with what we're gonna recommend for the valuation that they they get a hold of the county before their meeting, so the county has an opportunity to go out, look at the property, pull the same information and and if they see a difference for some reason, you know, and they want to recommend something different, that is their right at their their level as well.

So go ahead, Commissioner.

Umison, one more like I might have more, but my next question.

Um, so how do you determine there's a there's a few property owners that said that uh assessing has not been in their property for 25, 30 years or whatever.

Um so then how do you come up with that valuation?

If you can't see actual improvements that were in there uh physically or deferred maintenance or those types of things, so how does that valuation come about?

We're gonna use the information we have available about that property in our office.

If we have not been able to make a physical interior inspection, if there's uh you know, if we can only see the front of the exterior of the home, we're gonna use the information that we have available to us to establish that value.

Um we can't get in every home every year.

Um we like I said, we have a six-year cycle that we're reviewing properties on.

Um, but not everybody's gonna let us in either.

So we're gonna have to assume what we know about the home is correct.

And we could be wrong, because there's plenty of properties, it's been 10, 20, 30 years since we've been in them.

And so we have to assume that the data that we have that's carried over all those years is still accurate.

And it might not be.

Um if there's deferred maintenance, especially on the interior of the home, you know, we're not gonna know that.

And if they've recently, you know, made some improvements to the exterior of the home, and we come through that area, you know, we might assume oh, they've been doing some some improvements to the home, but you do not have to make an improvement to the property for the valuation to increase.

Um if the market shows that properties that are in, you know, they're just cared for, um, you know, typical maintenance, that sort of stuff, are selling for more than what we have on there, we do have to raise those values.

So you don't have to make an improvement for your value to change because we have to follow the market, and the market's gonna dictate what we have to do with those valuations, and we're going to use the information we have on those structures to establish that value and then adjust it to the sales accordingly.

If I could just follow up on one of the questions, Commissioner Zenker asked, is would it be possible for you to come back to one of our I realize this it's a different board, but it's the same persons.

Uh just a summary findings or uh summarize summarize the activity of the follow-up.

We're not to get the detail necessarily, but uh uh a summary that we would be able to hear um at a future commission meeting.

I think that would be helpful for us.

I'd be happy to know that these wonderful residents and constituents have been heard and have had their day in day in the office.

Yeah.

Commissioner Singer would you find that to be helpful?

Yeah, I think uh mayor, I think that's a great idea.

I mean, that would be because we see them on our consent agenda abatements and those types of things and corrections, but with the with the mass amount of letters that went out and and the concern as well.

I mean, and I have some concerns too.

You shouldn't see properties go up 140,000 dollars in four or five years, that just doesn't make a lot of sense.

I mean, I'm in the construction industry and things have gone up.

I can I get that, and I can give you I know for a fact that the the state will come in and make adjustments because I have I have property in in another county, and that's exactly what happened in that county.

They came in and over a two-year period they they adjusted those rates and you had to adjust your glasses a little bit because of of what was what happened.

So I appreciate the fact that we're between that percentage that that's dictated to us, but um there also has to be an explanation to everybody as well when you see those those large spikes because if you if you have misinformation, I'll use Mr.

Chambers because he's still here and his house isn't isn't explained on the interweb so to speak um versus what he lives in.

I mean, there has to be an adjustment for that.

I mean, if he's got non-compatible windows for egress in the basement, it's not a five-bedroom house because you because by code, right?

That's a whole nother scenario that would have to bring in to make that house feasible for five bedrooms.

So it shouldn't be labeled as as five bedrooms either.

So well, and we're you know, we'll definitely update our information when we go for the review, but I will say that the number of bedrooms does not affect our value.

Um it's the total square footage, but that's the example, right?

Yep, that's an example of that, yeah.

Absolutely.

So all right.

Any other comments or questions at this point in time?

Okay.

Uh go ahead then.

Yep.

Um, so if if you don't have anything else for me on that, um, I do have some information here.

We had some property owners.

Oh, hold on.

It's in this line.

There were some property owners who reached out to us prior to the meeting tonight.

So we have a list, like we do typically every year, where we visited with the property owner, we've made the visit, we found some error in our information.

Um, and so we've let them know what the updated value should be after our review, and they've agreed to that value.

So I do have a list um that I can share with you that we will need a motion on from you to approve these changes for the 2026 value.

So I'll just hand me these and like I said, these property owners have already agreed to the adjustments that we are recommending.

And we will send them a notification after the meeting as well that their property their 2026 value is changing from this evening.

The other list of properties that I have our property owners that we have talked to that um they don't agree with their valuation.

This list is a little longer this year because there is a group who want to visit with me, but I haven't had a chance to visit with them yet.

They just contacted me on Monday morning and they've scheduled a meeting for me to come visit with them the following Monday.

Um and so they just wanted to make sure it was on record that they were contesting their values and know that I'm going to come and visit with them and we'll discuss those things.

Um and they did send some information with that that they wanted me to share with you as a board.

So I have the list of the properties that we're recommending no change on for tonight, and some of those are ones that we still need to go and visit.

Um if changes are made or recommended for those, again, we'll take those to the the county board the first of June to make sure those get adjusted for 2026.

Um but I'm just gonna share that.

There's a few other property owners who sent in some letters.

Um of them we have reached out to and they haven't got back to us, so we haven't been able to make a physical review, which is part of the reason we're gonna recommend no change on those.

Again, if we could get out to take a look at those, there might be something we can adjust, and everyone on this list will receive a letter as well with the notification that no change was made at the meeting.

But you know, they'll be able to give us a call so we can get that scheduled, um, or they can just strictly call the county and go to them.

But I will share these with you as well.

This is the list of no change, um, or they don't agree with the recommendation if we are recommending a change, and then the information that some of the appellants sent in for the one that was online, I had emailed you that packet because it was a bit larger.

Um, so they could you guys could have that.

We have not been able to review that fully in our office at this point in time, but we will take a closer look at that as well.

So I want to make sure I have the street.

So the first list, the property owners and you have come to agreement on.

So we would have a motion to accept those changes.

Yes.

This list where we've got people who are contesting, but there's not been an opportunity to agree.

We still have to you're telling us we need to agree to the values, even though there could be a chance that those are gonna change.

Okay.

Yes, because tonight we're going to approve the values based on what we've been able to review.

Um, and again, any of these on the the recommending no change list, because we do have some appointments scheduled out with some of these property owners, or we they just haven't responded to us trying to get back in touch with them.

Um we have time between now and the first of June to look at those.

So those that have scheduled the appointment.

Do they know we're gonna vote no change tonight?

Yes, I have let them know.

Okay.

The ones that we have been able to talk to.

I I'm just communication is very important.

And um what about all those individuals who came tonight?

We will we'll add them to our list.

We will make no change to their value at the meeting tonight.

Everybody who came to the meeting will reach out to them, we'll visit with them, we'll review their property.

If there is an adjustment to make, we will have to ask the county board to make that because there's no way for us to meet again between the 15th of this month and now and get a chance to review all those properties.

So that's why we'll take it on to the county board for the recommendation at that point.

Okay, so to follow up with my suggestion about the summary, that's really the information that I want to hear because I want to know kind of the results of this meeting tonight.

Okay.

Once we've had a chance to visit with all those property owners and um review their properties and know what the valuation may or may not change.

I will throw an agenda item on and come back and share with the board.

I would appreciate that.

Yeah.

Um, because there's there's some here that I think uh need to have a hard look at.

Okay, absolutely.

Okay.

Are there any questions about any of the stuff that I shared with those appeals and the letters that were sent?

Commissioners.

I mean, we it we just got a bunch of stuff handed to us, so I can tell you the I believe that first one we called them, but they didn't want us to come out and take a look at the property, which was why with their letter, we have our comparable sales.

Um then taking what we know about their home and assuming it's correct.

They're currently valued at 165 dollars a square foot, and the comparable sales that we have for their property.

We have a range of 151 dollars to 305 dollars a square foot of properties that have sold.

Um, and so that one the reason why we're recommending no change is since we're not getting in to review the property.

We're assuming that all of our information about the structure is accurate, and then we do have sales to support our current valuation.

I mixed my papers orders up when I was looking at them.

Are you talking about the Porter Avenue House?

Yes, okay.

Yes, almost extended these around.

The next couple of letters that I had in my packet, those were emailed into our office.

Um, they are on a few shop condos.

We reached out, responded to the email.

Um we're getting no response back from that property owner.

So we haven't been able to get into these, um, and we've tried for a few years now to get inside those.

So again, that's why we're recommending no change on those.

I think the next bit of information I shared with you is it's a little is that the 109 you're done with Tacoma Avenue?

Yes, Tacoma Avenue.

On this list and has it at 266.

The I'm sorry, there's no we will correct that because you're right.

There is an error there.

Um we must have a typo on that because I believe it is valued at the 1924.

But I will double check that on my list before we post it to our minutes.

Okay.

So it is accurate.

So then I would have to ask is 108 accurate too, then.

I mean, because that's a pretty that's 136,000 difference.

I would assume that there's the same address, different suites.

I gotta be the same.

They are different suites, and the um the 108 does have finish um for the law office itself.

109 is basically just like a shop condo um without this, it does not have the same finish as as 108.

So 109 has less finish in it from what we're aware of.

Again, we haven't been able to get inside these, so that's why there's a jump in that value because 108 does have a different interior finish to it.

They have more stuff completed.

Um let's see.

The next bit of information that we were given from a property owner that I had to share was there's a letter and then their list of parcels.

Um, this is the one that I just found out about on Monday.

Um, they they sent me all of this information here, and I'm meeting with them next Monday to go over the changes, um, why their values change the way they were because they are vacant lots.

Um, so I can explain to them, you know, how our process did change for this year.

Uh, the commercial vacant lots, um, there's some in that daybreak subdivision, and then we have some in he has a miscellaneous um and then Bowden subdivision, those all have some commercial lots.

The Elk Ridge and Bowden have some residential in those, and so I can visit with him about what we did and why.

Um, and I'm gonna look at the information that he shared, what you know, and what we have for sales.

We in that daybreak subdivision, you know.

As I've been looking at this, it looks like our current value per square foot.

We have a range of like five dollars to eleven dollars a square foot on the lots in that area there.

Um, for 2025, we had sales in that subdivision of the same zoning.

They're gonna be a little bit different in size.

Um, but we had a 2025 sale that was 28 dollars a square foot.

We had another 2025 sale that was 17 a square foot, and that's just in that subdivision itself.

Um, overall within the city, the CG land sales uh for 23, 24, and 25.

We have a median price per square foot of 14.58 cents.

And just for 2025 sales, the median price per square foot was $16.50.

So all of these are still valued much less than what the lots the CG land is selling for per square foot.

Um, but I can double check my information with him and visit with them about that.

Um they do currently have all of these.

I I would say all but two of those listed for sale.

Um the listings for those lots are significantly higher than than what we have them valued at Elk Ridge.

There's a few of them in there that I think we might have a little higher than they should be because they're the twin home lots based on on the sales.

So those we'll definitely visit with him about and take a look at the miscellaneous one on Brookside Place.

Um that one we currently have valued at $7.55 a square foot.

The two neighboring lots that sold in 22 and 23 were $22 and $21 a square foot for those lots.

So we are below what just in that subdivision is selling for, and again, it would be that same range overall of $14.58 for a three-year median and $16.50 for a one-year median on CG lots.

And then in Bowden, the lots that are on here are either a residential lot or an RT lot.

The sales that we had for the RT, so the commercial lots, the median sale price is $19 a square foot for 2025, and our value is five dollars and 25 cents a square foot.

So we're 27% of the sale price.

Um, so we are definitely below tolerance level on the market value of those.

Um, and as for the residential lots, there was only two of the residential lots that sold at $124.9 per lot.

There is a range of the different lots, and they're currently advertised at $89.9 to $144.9.

Um, so anywhere between $36 and $58% of market of our value, basically, because those are currently listed at $50, we have them valued at $52,400.

So I will keep going through this to make sure I have my information correct.

To share with you guys when I do come back, but anything that we will adjust, we'll adjust through the the county.

Um the county board will make that final adjustment for us.

Otherwise, the only other one that I had there was the um 400 East Broadway, which was the one that I had emailed you earlier.

Um and I think I might have included our comps.

We do not have anything like that Wells Fargo building that's sold.

It's it's very unique.

It's um that one was built 1980-ish.

Somewhere in the 80s.

76.

Okay.

76.

And that total square footage that we have listed on there.

Um that includes the parking garage.

There's only three that I can think of, that one included, um, where the property has its own parking garage.

Uh, the and so that that does make it a little different.

We were figuring a price per square foot of that unit, including the parking garage, because not all, especially downtown offices, you're not gonna have great parking um at the majority of them.

You're gonna have to hope you have street parking and or somebody's gonna park in a ramp, and you're definitely probably not gonna have anything for your tenants or their employees to park in typically either with the downtown area.

It is difficult for us to find comparables because we don't have anything of that size that has sold recently.

Um I will say it's current value per unit, or for the for the building itself, including the parking ramp, we have it at $54.84 its value.

Um the other two properties that have a parking ramp, one of them is the US bank building, um, 200 north third.

That one does have a ramp as well.

It's a 1978 build, so it's similar in age, but its square footage is is significantly smaller.

Um, but we have that at about $60 a square foot for its current 2026 value, and then the first interstate or first international, I'm sorry, um, much newer built in 2016.

It has a parking ramp as well.

Um, that one has a 2026 value that's 192 a square foot, but it is significantly newer, so that's gonna be the reason for the the big difference in the the value per square foot.

Um we don't have enough income and expense information to utilize, and we would never use the actual income and expense from a property to set their valuation.

We'd have to find the market, and we don't have enough people sharing their income and expense information with our office to establish a market for our area, which is why we don't utilize the approach except for like I said on the hotels, and that's because I can get information from the local market to tell me what their average daily rate and their occupancies should be for our market.

And when it comes to the office buildings, I just don't have enough information to utilize that.

And so we will rely more on the sales comparison approach.

But again, it is a unique building, so we just really don't have a whole lot for that.

They um between 23 and 24, they put over seven million dollars into that property for renovations.

And and part of the reason for the increase in value is because with that renovation, they finished a couple floors that previously didn't have finish in them.

So we weren't valuing for finish on those, and and we had to add that in there that they were now finished.

So that's part of the reason why our value changed over the last few years on that building.

Um just wanted to share that about that one.

So I I will make a statement.

So I I tend to agree with that.

I think um that needs to be looked at.

We have to maybe look at our valuation process for some of these properties when they're not owner-occupied but are tenant occupied.

Um because that does change it.

You know, the the reference to the first international bank, that's significantly owner-occupied.

It has significantly different finishes in, but they also are more owner-occupied versus these that are tenant occupied, the two that you referenced downtown in particular.

Um I think that there was Mr.

Hins presented a very good argument that needs to be seriously looked at because I don't quite understand how we can have such a difference in first quarter.

The information and I would love to see his sheet.

I don't have that, but I'm not sure that's gonna have mine.

If um if the information he's utilizing, I get that is a current value.

So and that's that's one thing I'd like to verify before I so I can explain that portion of it.

So I I I based upon what is here, it does look something out of line, but go ahead, Commissioner Zenker.

Mayor Commissioner Allison, but he was here two years ago with the South Store.

I mean, so I would uh I'm not gonna question his credibility.

I would think that he had to go through this once before he's he probably just had to update the spreadsheet that he had two years ago.

And it's I mean when you look at those comparables, that is I don't see how you can how it can be double of some of those stores that that he that he lists on there.

I mean each one of us has probably been in those stores multiple times in box store is a box store and a store that has friendly environment when you walk in, still sells stuff.

You know, you're not paying for the environment.

So you know charge we don't assess more for the environment.

So I think that that I completely agree with the mayor that that has to be looked at and reviewed.

And and my only other comment, and this is a difficult one because I think it's it's just I don't know how we go about it, but as developers put lots on, and there's three or four or five developers in town.

You know, they're they've got an absorption rate to those developments that could take 12, 15 years before they sell out, and just because they have a price that they're asking for, that doesn't even that's what they're gonna get.

And because there's a sales price that may be reported, they may be doing some other things to those for those buyers of those lots given some concessions.

So I I look forward to when you have that conversation with the one that is presented here because I think you know we I I want to be fair to those people too, because without growth, we don't we don't increase property values and we don't increase tax revenues if we don't have new property coming on, and so um uh that's the report will be very important for me to receive um in a month or whatever it is when we we can get that.

So um thank you for the work you've done.

Thank you for every most people have left, but for those of you who came tonight, I do appreciate you being here and expressing your concerns because we can't do anything about it, and Allison's team can't do anything about it if we don't hear about it.

So I don't know if anybody else has any comments.

We need two motions.

We'll need three three motions.

Yep, we'll need a motion for each of those lists to be approved and then for the annual report to be approved with those changes.

So I would move to approve the list of the 2025 Board of Equalization Meeting owners agreed with value change um addresses.

Um addresses.

Second.

Any discussion.

Especially and me.

Hearing none will call roll.

Uh Commissioner Cleary.

Yes.

Commissioner Zenker?

Yes.

Commissioner Rish.

Yes.

Yes.

Commissioner Rish joined a little tardy.

I didn't I didn't flag you down, but he's been listening for quite some time.

Okay.

Well, Commissioner Rush, did you have any comments?

I should have asked that earlier.

No, no, I I I've been listening in.

I was late to the party.

I'm sorry about that.

Okay.

All right.

Um I would move to approve the 2025 Board of Equalization Meeting.

Owners disagree with recommendation list of addresses and and values.

Second.

Is that is that the way we should be making that motion?

Does it long as it includes the list of people who spoke to it?

It does.

I'll add that to the list for the minutes purposes.

So they'll be added to the added to that list.

Okay.

Yep.

And dramatically.

Yep.

Okay.

Now that I have information from them.

So okay.

So we have a first and a second.

Do we have further discussion?

Hearing none will call roll.

Commissioner Rish.

Yes.

Commissioner Zinker.

Yes.

Commissioner Cleary?

Yes.

Mayor Schmitz.

Yes.

Okay.

And then I would move to approve the annual report from the assessing division for 2026 with the changes that were made tonight.

Second.

Is there any discussion?

Hearing none will call I'm sorry.

Mayor Commissioner's Commissioner Rish, since you're on the phone, I just wanted to have it make you stay a little bit longer.

Oh, I got bowling tonight.

Okay, you'll make it.

What time?

It's 7 30.

We've got give me two minutes.

So I will just say this, and I said this last year too.

I mean, um, so with the state changing the way we can do things financially, right?

I think there has to be a methodology ch methodology change as well.

I understand the reason for the uh um assessments and stuff on the on the new properties and upgrades and those types of things, but um if if we're gonna be capped at a three percent, they got to figure out a way to do the alber algebraic equation so it's three percent for everybody, right?

I mean I don't um my three percent of my house is different than uh than someone who has three percent on their houses, which is less value, or someone who has three percent on on a value that's higher, right?

So we all kind of pay our quote unquote equal share.

So um just because I'm getting out of the game, so to speak, doesn't mean I'll be out of the game.

I will try to work with local legislators, and I brought it up to them last year that we have to do something about the valuations um as to how the the local municipalities uh figure those those out and kind of some of this stuff's got to be pulled out of the equation.

I totally understand um that we have to do it, but there has to be a limit to to what that's what those valuations can be um unless you make a major change or bring it in a new property to the to the city.

And and Commissioner, I appreciate exactly what you're saying.

I've had those same conversations with the delegates as well, and maybe they'll at the next session just do something to fix that or help us out.

Because it would be less less confusing.

Go ahead, Commissioner Rish.

Yeah, yeah, I think Commissioner Zinker makes an excellent point.

Some of these people are getting these assessments that are like 20 or 30 percent more than what they had last year, and they're making the assumption that oh, their taxes are gonna go up 20 to 30 percent when in fact we're capped at three percent.

So some clarity here would be I think really helpful.

Thank you, Commissioner Zinker, for pointing that out.

Okay, all right.

Thank you, Allison, for all of your work and all the work that the team does.

I know this is a huge lift every year for you guys.

Okay, is there any other business?

I think that's all roll.

Okay, I'm sorry.

I'm above average of that.

All right, any other discussion on the motion to accept the report.

Hearing none will call roll.

Commissioner Cleary.

Yes, Commissioner Rish.

Yes, Commissioner Zinker, yes, Mayor Schmitz.

Yes, all right.

Now is there any other business?

Seeing none, hearing none, we are adjourned.

Thank you.