Property owners in Garfield County brace for some higher tax bills

By Phillip Yates
Post Independent Staff
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
February 12, 2008

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GLENWOOD SPRINGS — Tax bills are being dropped in the mail and area property owners might have to open their wallets wider this year to pay off their property taxes.
Many property owners will see their tax bills go up mostly because area property values have gone up, said Garfield County Assessor John Gorman.

Also pushing up area property taxes is a new county-wide mill levy for the Garfield County Public Library district, Gov. Bill Ritter’s mill levy freeze on local school districts and the reduction of property values on natural gas production in the western part of the county, Gorman said.

The Garfield County Treasurer’s department is sending out 32,674 property tax notices this week. Sixty five taxing authorities in the county are seeking to collect $130 million this year, up from the $118 million collected last year — a 10 percent increase. Garfield County Treasurer Georgia Chamberlain attributed the increase to an increase in property values across the county.

Five area school districts will collect 37 percent of the tax revenues, or about $48.1 million. Garfield County will receive about 30 percent — or about $39 million.
Area towns, Colorado Mountain College, special districts and fire protection districts will receive the remaining 33 percent or about $42.9 million.

The first half of tax payments are due on Feb. 29 and the second half is due on June
16. If property owners want to pay the full bill at one time the deadline is April 30.
Chamberlain warned area residents to make sure they check with their mortgage companies first before sending in their tax payments.

“If the mortgage company is escrowing money for taxes, chances are they will be making the payment for you,” Chamberlain said.

Both Gorman and Chamberlain said a new pamphlet will be mailed with this year’s tax bill. In an attempt to “take the mystery” out of the county’s property tax calculation,

the pamphlet will explain how residents’ property tax bills are calculated.

Included in the pamphlet is the assessor’s legal notice on the 2008 Real Property
Valuation and Appeal Rights and Procedures, along with information on property tax
exemptions for seniors and disabled veterans. There is also information on property
tax deferral for seniors and active military members.

Chamberlain said if residents don’t receive a tax bill or if they see any errors on their
bill, they need to call the treasurer’s office, which can be reached at 945-6382 in
Glenwood Springs or at 625-0926 in Rifle.