Director of Equalization
Kathy Steinlicht
Director of Equalization
Director of Equalization
The Director of Equalization office of Grant County has the responsibility to discover, list and value all real property in the county. Each year our office is required to review all real property and assess it at its full and true value. This process helps to fairly assess properties so that the tax burden of the county can be distributed fairly. There are two major types of property in the county, non-agricultural and agricultural. Non-Ag property includes all homes and commercial buildings. Agricultural property is land and farm buildings located on 20 or more acres in the county that have a principle use of Ag.
VALUATION:
Non-ag: Sales of non-ag property are reviewed each year according to individual areas and neighborhoods to determine that a fair and equitable value is placed on each parcel. New construction is evaluated using the Marshall & Swift Evaluation system to determine an individual value for the building.
Ag: Ag land is valued with a process that uses the Individual soil types of the parcel and a top grass and crop dollar amount that is provided to the Director of Equalization by the Department of Revenue. Each soil type has a different rating and is valued accordingly. Most parcels contain a variety of soil types.
After the assessed value is determined by the Director of Equalization, the information is passed along to the Auditor's office where the current tax levies are applied and tax notices are printed. The Tax List and notices then go to the Treasurer for collection. The Director of Equalization office determines the market value of the property, not the tax amount.
PROCEDURES:
The Director of Equalization Office maintains a property card for nearly 10,000 parcels in the county. These cards contain the property valuation and information and pictures of buildings on the property. Each time a property is sold and a deed is recorded at the Register of Deeds Office a document will be given to the Director that will allow the name of the property owner to change on this property card. This assures that the equalization notice and tax notice are mailed to the current owner.
Important Links
VALUATION:
Non-ag: Sales of non-ag property are reviewed each year according to individual areas and neighborhoods to determine that a fair and equitable value is placed on each parcel. New construction is evaluated using the Marshall & Swift Evaluation system to determine an individual value for the building.
Ag: Ag land is valued with a process that uses the Individual soil types of the parcel and a top grass and crop dollar amount that is provided to the Director of Equalization by the Department of Revenue. Each soil type has a different rating and is valued accordingly. Most parcels contain a variety of soil types.
After the assessed value is determined by the Director of Equalization, the information is passed along to the Auditor's office where the current tax levies are applied and tax notices are printed. The Tax List and notices then go to the Treasurer for collection. The Director of Equalization office determines the market value of the property, not the tax amount.
PROCEDURES:
The Director of Equalization Office maintains a property card for nearly 10,000 parcels in the county. These cards contain the property valuation and information and pictures of buildings on the property. Each time a property is sold and a deed is recorded at the Register of Deeds Office a document will be given to the Director that will allow the name of the property owner to change on this property card. This assures that the equalization notice and tax notice are mailed to the current owner.
Important Links