County, Features

Where do your property taxes go?

Who pays what?
County Value by Property Types
2018 Tax Revenue: $37,608,985

RBC | In a few weeks Rio Blanco County property owners will receive updated “Notice of Valuation” postcards from the county assessor’s office. Those valuations—based on a complex formula of local real estate sale prices and property improvements—will determine what you owe in property taxes next year. In a nutshell, assessed value is a percentage of sale—or estimated sale—value.

PROPERTY TAXES IN RBC

Rio Blanco County’s property taxes are among the lowest in the state, averaging $609 a year according to tax-rates.org. Neighboring Garfield County averages  twice that, at $1,276.

For RBC, oil and gas generates almost half—45%—of the  annual total, while industrial brings in another 31%. By contrast, residential property generates 4% and agricultural property brings in just 2%. Property tax dollars collected make up approximately 30% of the county’s overall revenue.

Where does it go?
Distribution of Revenue – 2018
% of the county’s operating budget
About 1/3 of county revenue comes from property taxes.
2019 Operating Budget:
$21,820,430

About 20% of property tax dollars collected go into the county’s coffers. The rest of the monies are distributed to schools and special districts according to previously established mill levies. One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of assessed value.

Since the implementation of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) amendment in 1992, mill levies cannot be increased without going to a public ballot. The result? Communities reliant on a single industry can’t raise mill levies to support their fire districts, recreation districts or school districts without voter approval when that industry is in decline.

According to RBC Assessor Renae Nielson, most of the west side of the county’s special district mill levies were established when the west side was flush with oil revenue, resulting in low mill levies for most of that side’s special districts. As oil revenue has decreased, the special districts have found themselves subject to ever-shrinking budgets with no way to raise revenue without going to ballot.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR RESIDENTS?

Exactly what you pay in property tax depends on your particular location and your particular classification: commercial, agricultural, residential, industrial, etc. There are specific requirements to be met to qualify for each qualification.

Agricultural property, for example, is valued on the 10-year earning capacity of the land’s net market value, not on the market value of the land. 

What if you get your new valuation and disagree with the assessed value of your property? Residents can complete the protest form on the back of the valuation postcard and return it to the Assessor’s Office beginning May 1. Protests must by postmarked by June 1 or hand delivered by June 3.

By Niki Turner | [email protected]

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  • Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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  • It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
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It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
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Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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