Assessor closes book on reassessment
WAYNESBURG – Greene County’s chief assessor made an announcement Wednesday that was about three years in the making. “I’m closing the door on the reassessment,” H. John Frazier said.
Frazier spoke about the completed reassessment and certification of values during the Greene County commissioners’ agenda meeting and the Greene County Board of Assessment Appeals meeting.
He said the new total property value of the county is up, with the reassessment 35.65 percent over this year’s market value, which is based on the last time the county was reassessed, in 1992.
The commissioners are expected to approve the tax-assessment property roll for 2003 when they consider regular business today.
Frazier quoted the new 2003 total assessment for the county at $1.46 billion, compared to $1.08 billion, for a gain of $385 million. The totals include real estate, oil and gas and minerals.
Notable are the school districts’ market values, with West Greene’s value increasing the most of the five districts, at 40.23 percent, from $325 million to $456 million.
Central Greene has the highest market value of the school districts, at $523 million, 36.84 percent over the previous $382 million.
The values for Jefferson-Morgan and Carmichaels Area school districts went up 36.46 percent and 35.23 percent, respectively.
Jeff-Morgan changed from $109 million to $149 million, and Carmichaels went from $113 million to $153 million.
Southeastern Greene School District’s market value went up by 22.37 percent, from $149 million to $183 million.
Carmichaels lost 23.06 percent, or $1.36 million, of the mineral assessment value.
The other school districts had gains in that category. Frazier attributed much of that loss to the closing of Dilworth mine.
Commissioner Farley Toothman said it is important to note that Southeastern Greene, Carmichaels Area and Jeff-Morgan combined have the market value of Central Greene or West Greene alone.
Regarding municipalities, most showed gains in the total taxable value, with Whiteley Township showing the largest gain, 90.26 percent, up $39 million from the old total of $43 million, for a new total value of $82 million.
Freeport, Gilmore and Jackson townships lost some value. Freeport’s value dropped from $10.7 million to $8.8 million, a difference of 17.29 percent. Gilmore’s value dropped 1.28 percent, from $20.5 million to $20.2 million, and Jackson’s value dropped 7.56 percent, from $34.7 million to $32.0 million.
Frazier said information has gone out to the boroughs and townships that they cannot raise their overall tax rate more than 5 percent, and school districts can go no higher than 10 percent in the 2003 reassessment year.
The county officials along with the reassessment changed the market value ratio from 33 percent of the assessed value to 100 percent of the assessed value.
Meanwhile, the commissioners acknowledged the work of the auxiliary appeals boards and voted to dissolve them.
Frazier explained the auxiliary appeals boards were composed of citizens who heard about 2,400 appeals.
He said about 10 of the decisions have gone on to further appeal.