Barton County Commission meeting at a glance
Here is a quick look at what the Barton County
Commission did Monday morning:
• Approved added/abated/escaped/refunded taxes
• Heard an update on county valuations from
County Appraiser Barb Esfeld.
• Heard numerous departmental updates.
A study of all the residential real estate market located in Barton County indicated that overall, values have increased 3.4 percent since last year, Barton County Appraiser Barb Esfeld told the County Commission Monday morning. This was the average, but the specific amounts (some up and some down) varied by location.
“We didn’t see any dramatic changes,” she said.
Esfeld brought up the 2019 county market analysis that tracks valuation trends and is prepared by her office during her annual report to commissioners. She also reminded them that by March 1 of each year, the Appraiser’s Office is to have completed valuation of property and mailed notices to the public per state statute.
“I just kind of wanted to let you know where we are at,” she said. “This is an update on what individuals will be seeing.
But, “with mass appraisal it is difficult to have all properties follow an exact trend due to their uniqueness and physical condition,” she said. They evaluate roughly 18,000 parcels so there can be variances also based on nearby comparable sales.
For example, most areas of the county experienced an inflationary trend. But, in some areas of Great Bend, there was a slight deflationary trend.
The commercial market showed no identifiable trend, She said. The same was true for vacant lots.
With agricultural land, state statutes dictate the Kansas Department of Revenue Division of Property Valuation annually furnish each county the results of its study relating to changes, if any, of the use values, she said. Changes can and do occur as a result of several factors including cropping practices, commodity prices and production costs.
These values are set by the Property Valuation and based on an eight-year rolling average. Esfeld said prices in Barton County had increased but are now leveling off some.
Still, “we are fortunate to be the size of county we are,” Esfeld said. There are enough properties to get a good sample without being overwhelming.
As for the values, they are to be mailed on March 1 by statute, she said. These values are for the property as of Jan. 1 of this year.
“Taxpayer’s have 30 days to appeal their appraised value if they disagree with it or want to know how we came up with the value,” Esfeld said.
“It is much better to appeal in the spring at the informal time than at payment under protest time for many reasons,” she said. First, it changes the amount of tax that a person owes, and second, it affects the county’s budget if adjusted at a later date.
She also went over the deadline’s to file personal property (March 15) and Oil and Gas (April 1) so that no penalties will apply. Personal property and oil and gas values will be mailed by May 1 with a only 15-day deadline to appeal those values.
The office will certify 2019 values to the County Clerk by June 1, she said.
There is little time to rest, she said. “Our office is already working on 2020 values as we are collecting building permits and data that occurred after Jan. 1.”
Below are the results of the Market Analysis for
Barton County prepared by the County Appraiser’s
Office for the valuation year 2019 tracking real estate
values. It showed:
• The residential real estate market in Barton County
indicated that there is an overall inflationary trend of
3.4 percent per year.
• The residential market for older dwellings, built
before 1946, located in the small cities and rural areas
of Barton County (Excluding Hoisington and Ellinwood)
showed an overall inflationary trend of 3.32 percent per
year.
• The residential market for newer dwellings, built
after 1946, in the small cities and rural areas of Barton
County (Excluding Hoisington and Ellinwood) showed
an overall inflationary trend of 3.19 percent per year.
• The residential market for older dwellings, built
before 1946, in Hoisington showed an overall inflationary
trend of 2.16 percent per year.
• The residential market for newer dwellings, built
after 1946, in Hoisington showed an overall inflationary
trend of 4.33 percent per year.
• The residential market for older dwellings, built
before 1946, in Ellinwood showed an overall inflationary
trend of 4.93 percent per year.
• The residential market for newer dwellings, built
after 1946, in Ellinwood showed an overall inflationary
trend of 3.07 percent per year.
• The residential market for older dwellings, built
before 1946, in the central and eastern areas of Great
Bend showed an overall deflationary trend of 2.83 percent
per year.
• The residential market for newer dwellings, i.e. built
after 1946, in the central and eastern areas of Great
Bend showed an overall deflationary trend of 1.04 percent
per year.
• The residential market for dwellings located in
Quail Creek, Amber Meadows and Stoneridge subdivisions,
as well as areas located in north central portions
of Great Bend and on West Broadway Street showed
an overall deflationary trend of 2.88 percent per year.
• The commercial market showed no identifiable
trend.
• The market for vacant lots showed no identifiable
trend.
Values on specific properties may not follow the general
trend because of changes in the property, corrections
of descriptive information, or adjustments of values
based on sales of similar properties.
In accordance with the provisions in K.S.A. 79-1476,
the Kansas Department of Revenue Division of
Property Valuation is required annually to furnish each
county the results of its study relating to changes, if
any, of the use value of agricultural land. Changes can
and do occur as a result of several factors including
cropping practices, commodity prices and production
costs.
These values are set by the of Property Valuation
and based on an eight-year rolling average. Esfeld said
prices in Barton County had increased but are now
leveling off some.
