PROPERTY TAX RATES IN SAN JUAN COUNTY

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List of stories about assessments in San Juan County

Tax notices in the mail today

posted 02/14/05
Property tax notices, sent out today by the San Juan County Treasurer Kathy Turnbull, include an 18 cent per thousand dollars of assessed value in state taxes and 23 cents in county rates. Increases by Island Rec, Lopez Fire and Orcas Island School District are added to the corresponding districts. Those increases were voter approved in 2004Figures supplied by county Assessor Paul Dossett are presented in the following charts.

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2004 levy rates set

posted 01/29/04
San Juan County Assessor Paul Dossett released the 2004 levy rates Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2004. The rate for the Town of Friday Harbor dropped $1.56 per thousand dollars of assessed value. The rate for Orcas dropped $.26; Lopez dropped $.37, San Juan dropped $1.24.

The decreases were due in part to the effect of Initiative 747 which limits increases to 1 percent per year unless approved by voters. Friday Harbor paid off a bond which helped lower its rates. The reassessments done in 2003 for Brown, Henry, Stuart, Johns, Spieden, Pearl, Dinner and San Juan Island (except the south end) increased the overall value which means a lower tax rate is needed to raise the same amount of money.

People who have property which was not reassessed in 2003, will see a decrease in their property tax bill in 2004. People who have property which increased substantially in value according to the 2003 reevaluation will see an increase in their property tax. To determine your tax bill, divide your assessment by 1,000 and multiply by the rate on the second chart below.

County tax rate lowest in state

posted 10/09/03
San Juan County has the lowest tax rate in the state at $7.32 per thousand dollars of assessed value. The state average for counties is $12.33. The next highest rate is Island County with a county average of $9.89.

The county rate is an average for the entire county. Shaw Island has the lowest tax rate with $4.71, the Town of Friday Harbor has the highest with $8.83. Different areas pay for different taxes. Everyone pays the state levy ($2.93 in 2003) and county current ($.78). Islands pay differing amounts for local school levies. Property owners in San Juan Island School District pay the highest at $1.03; Lopez $.75 and Orcas $.50. Check out the county's Web site for more statistics.

Property in the county is reevaluated every three years. The county is divided into three sections:

• Lopez and the southern portion of San Juan Island
• Orcas Island
• San Juan Island (northern portion including the Town of Friday Harbor)

As a result of the reevaluations, the tax rate changes. Reevaluation does not result in increased tax revenue, it does result in redistribution of the tax burden.

For example, consider the county current tax rate. In 2003 it was $.77616 per thousand dollars of assessed value. In 2004, County Assessor Paul Dossett estimates the rate will drop a nickel to $.72253 per thousand dollars of assessed value. The number does not include the levy increase on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The lower rate will be used for all property in the county. San Juan Island residents will be paying the rate on their updated values. Orcas property owners will pay based on their assessments calculated in 2002. Lopez property owners will pay taxes on their assessed values which were reevaluated in 2001.

This means Lopez property owners get a break in 2004. San Juan County Assessor Paul Dossett compares it to a wave. At any time, one third of the county is at the crest of the wave, one third at the bottom and one third in the middle.

2003 County
Tax Rates

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