S T E A M B O AT
TODAY
FRIDAY
MAY 1, 2009
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
®
Vol. 21, No. 104
RO U T T
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In the past 29 years, members of the South Routt chapter of Future Farmers of America have garnered more than 100 awards under the leadership of chapter sponsor Byron Dean. He was honored Thursday night at the chapter’s annual banquet. For story, see page 3.
Sailors top Bulldogs Page 27
■ INDEX Briefs . . . . . . . . .10 Business. . . . . . .26 Classifieds . . . . .31 Colorado. . . . . . .16 Comics . . . 4 Points Happenings . . . . .7
Mountain News . .15 Nation. . . . . . . . .18 Sports. . . . . . . . .27 ViewPoints . . . . . .8 Weather . . . . . . .22 World . . . . . . . . .25
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Property values increase Expanded worth doesn’t necessarily mean larger taxes, assessor said Blythe Terrell
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Letters are working their way toward Routt County property owners that might contain an unwelcome surprise. The Office of the Routt County Assessor has mailed property value assessments. The county’s total assessed property value jumped 38 percent from 2008 to 2009. The numbers
■ LOTTO Thursday night’s Cash 5 numbers: 8-18-20-23-31 Drawings are held Monday through Saturday.
and the notices reflect property values through June 30, 2008 — not what the real-estate market looks like now, County Assessor Mike Kerrigan said. The early figures show that Routt’s total assessed property value went from about $1.12 billion in 2008 to about $1.52 billion in 2009, he said.
■ WEATHER
Mostly cloudy with showers. High of 60.
Page 22
Mill levies A mill is a tenth of a cent, or $1 of tax per every $1,000 of assessed property value. Routt County’s total property valuation in 2008 was $1.12 billion. Its property tax revenue was about $14.75 million and
is limited by TABOR. Dividing the property tax revenue by the property valuation gives the mill levy: 0.013, or 13 mills. The mill levy changes each year because it’s based on those other values.
“It’s not just due to appreciation,” Kerrigan said. “In the last two years, we have had a lot of new construction.” But a value increase doesn’t necessarily mean property tax
bills will be higher when they arrive in January. Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights amendment, or TABOR, limits the See Property value, page 14
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