assessor
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 7am -
4:30pm Subject to
Cass County
Holidays
Phone: 712-243-2005 Fax: 712-243-2513
bnelson@casscoia.us
| Assessment Flow Chart |
| Duties of the Assessor |
| The Assessor is charged with several administrative and statutory
duties. The primary duty and responsibility is to assess all real property
within the Assessor's jurisdiction except that which is otherwise provided by
law. This would include residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural
classes of property. Real property is revalued every two years. The effective date of the assessment is January first of each year. The Assessor determines a full or partial value for all new construction and improvements depending upon their state of completion as of that January first date The Assessor is concerned with value, not taxes. Taxing jurisdictions such as schools, cities and county, adopt budgets after public hearings. This determines the tax levy, which is the rate of taxation required to raise the money budgeted. The taxes you pay are proportional to the value of your property compared to the total value of property in your taxing district. |
| General Misconceptions about the Assessor's Duties |
The Assessor DOES NOT:
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| About the Assessor |
Assessors are appointed to their position by a Conference Board consisting of the members of the Board of Supervisors, the Mayors of all the incorporated cities, and a member of each school district within the jurisdiction. A city with a population of 10,000 or more may elect to have their own assessor. In cities having an assessor the conference board shall consist of the members of the city council, school board and county board of supervisors. Assessors are required by law to pass a state examination and complete a continuing education program consisting of 150 hours of formal classroom instruction with 90 hours tested and a passing grade of 70% attained. The latter requirement must be met in order for the Assessor to be reappointed to the position every six years. The Conference Board approves the Assessor's budget and after a public hearing acts on adoption of the same. The Assessor is limited, by statute, depending upon the value of the jurisdiction, to a levy limitation for the budget. Market
Value Market
Approach Cost
Approach The second approach to value is the COST APPROACH, which is an estimate of how many dollars at current labor and material prices it would take to replace a property with one similar to it. In the event the improvement is not new, appropriate amounts of depreciation and obsolescence are deducted from replacement value. Value of the land is added to arrive at an estimate of total property value. Income
Approach The INCOME APROACH is the third method used if the property produces income. If the property is an income producing property, it could be valued according to its ability to produce income under prudent management; in other words, what another investor would give for a property in order to gain its income. The income approach is the most complex of the three approaches because of the research, information and analysis necessary for an accurate estimate of value. This method requires thorough knowledge of local and national financial conditions, as well as any developmental trends in the area of the subject property being appraised since errors or inaccurate information can seriously affect the final estimate of value. Agricultural real property is assessed at 100% of productivity and net earning capacity value. The Assessor considers the productivity and net earning capacity of the property. Agricultural income as reflected by production, prices, expenses, and various local conditions is taken into account. Why Values
Change |
| Important Dates |
January 1 - Effective date of current assessment.
April 16 through May 5 inclusive - Protest of assessment period for filing with the local Board of Review.
May 1 through adjournment - Board of Review meets each year.
October 16 through October 25 inclusive - Protest period for filing with Board of Review on those properties affected by changes in value as a result of the Director of Revenue and Finance Equalization Orders (odd numbered years).
January
1 through December 31 -
Period for filing for
Filing is required on the following, if provisions have been made for exemptions as required:
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| Notification and Appeal |
If you disagree with the Assessor's estimate of value, please consider these two questions:
If you have any questions about the assessment of your property, please contact your assessor's office. A written protest may be filed with the Board of Review which is composed of either three members or five members from various areas of the county who are familiar with local market conditions and trends. The Board operates independently of the Assessor's office and has the power to confirm or to adjust upward or downward any assessment. An individual may petition to district court if they are not satisfied with the Board of Review's decision. |
| Resource Links |
Iowa State Association of Assessors Iowa General Assembly Bills and Amendments Iowa Code
2001 (see Chapter 441, Assessment & Valuation of
Property) IAAO: International Association of Assessing Officers
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