New Beaver County property tax assessments leave some residents with sticker shock
BEAVER, Pa. (KDKA) -- New property tax assessments are hitting mailboxes across Beaver County this week and some residents have sticker shock.
The last assessment was done in 1982.
Some 92,000 letters were sent to Beaver County property owners notifying them of their properties' new assessed values. Of those, officials expect 12,000 to appeal.
It's been years in the making and the time is finally here for Beaver County's first property reassessment in 40 years. The much-anticipated letters hit taxpayers' mailboxes revealing the county's tentative reassessed value of their properties.
"The letter they sent is vague. It doesn't say what your increase is or what your decrease is. It's kind of vague," said resident Ronnie Daslessandris.
Many property owners fear their taxes will skyrocket but the county's chief assessor, Joshua Eckelberger, says that's untrue.
If your new valuation is 10 times higher, that doesn't mean you'll pay 10 times higher taxes.
"A lot of them are talking about the current millage rate and applying it to the new values, which is giving them a high number that's not actually true," Eckelberger said.
Eckelberger says the taxable value in the county is going from 2.2 billion to 15.7 billion, which would drop the millage rate.
"I understand for the millage is going to be in proportion so hopefully it works out all right," said resident David Hodge.
If you think your new value is incorrect, you have until Aug. 1 to file an appeal.
