Hearing requests flood in at Board of Equalization

Elevation likely to make up about half of hearings

According to county manager Matthew Birnie, it looks like the County Board of Equalization (CBOE) is anticipating as many as 600 appeals to property values this year. Notices of appeal are still arriving at the assessor’s office, but the number of appeals has already left the CBOE scrambling to complete the hearings before the August 5 deadline.

“We have so many petitions we’ve filled up all the days we had set aside,” commissioner Hap Channell said.
“We don’t know how many there are going to be and won’t know for a few days. They have to go by postmark,” said Birnie.
According to Birnie, due to scheduling conflicts with the commissioners, county staff will begin by scheduling additional hearings with an independent hearing officer.
According to county assessor Kristy McFarland, there were 275 hearings in 2009, the last time hearings were held.
“The reason for all the appeals is due to the Elevation Hotel appealing all 300 or so of its units, and many folks in rural Gunnison County whose values stayed stable or increased,” McFarland said.
So far this year, 221 appeals have been received in addition to appeals from the Elevation Hotel.
“As you know, a lot of our property owners are second-home owners from places like Louisiana and Texas,” said Birnie, indicating that it may take more time for appeals to trickle in.
Appeals hearings must be completed by August 5. The total assessed value of the county will then be considered by the state and taxing entities to determine mil levies and property taxes.