OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Homeowners are opening their mailboxes to find new property tax statements and many are once again upset with what they're seeing. In fact, one person said his valuation jumped by more than $100,000.
Terry Thielen has lived in his Douglas County home for eight years. The retiree said he's made no improvements to his home in the past year.
This comes as it has been a struggle so far for lawmakers to pass meaningful property tax relief. Just last summer, the legislature passed LB 34, which would provide an additional $750 million in property tax credits.
"We thought it was really steep. A little bit difficult for the both of us," he said.
And Thielen is not alone, Tracee Baker saw her valuation jump $6,000. The cherry on top, over the last three years, Baker said her valuations have jumped more than $100,000.
"My husband and I's wages have been stagnant. Obviously with high inflation over the past couple years, our property tax valuations keep going up and up every year. It's getting harder and harder for us to pay our bills every month," said Baker.
Over the last decade, residential property values have doubled based on selling prices. We talked with Douglas County Assessor Michael Goodwillie. He said this year, residential property valuations saw an increase overall of seven percent.
"What we'll do typically is we will compare the selling prices with the current assessed values," said Goodwillie.
He said the last time your property was appraised can also play a role in determining the valuation.
We took neighbors concerns to the legislature. Senator Brad von Gillren, who chairs the Revenue Committee, said in part:
"That being said, the significance of measures passed by the Legislature in LB 34 should not be downplayed or diminished. The growth limitations on levying authority are a first step on the road to meaningful reform."
Thielen said he's thinking about potentially contesting his valuation.
"When it goes that much up in a year, maybe there's something else that needs to be done other than us absorbing it in our pocket books."
The Douglas County Assessor tells us that if you have questions about your property valuation, you can email valuationissues@douglascounty-ne.gov.
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