Property owners in Wheat Ridge, Jefferson County and across Colorado recently learned they will be paying up to 20% more in property taxes this year. It’s due to a complicated combination of changes made after the expiration of tax relief for residents and businesses as well as other changes.
Property tax statements were mailed by county treasurer’s offices to Colorado property owners in April. Taxpayers have two payment options: The entire amount is due by April 30 or they can split their payments into two. The first was due by March 2 and the second is due by June 15.
Jefferson County Treasurer Jerry DiTullio said a lot of taxpayers were upset about their bills “because nothing changed in terms of how much their property is valued” for tax purposes.
“It’s seniors mainly, but really everybody,” he added. “Some of them think it’s the county treasurer that’s raising their taxes since that’s who sent the statement. But we’re all just following state law.”
County treasurers collect property taxes, invest funds, disburse money to cities and special tax districts and act as county bankers. County treasurers do not have the legal authority to raise, lower or waive property taxes under state law.
Another reaction DiTullio said county residents have is “when they’re living in a home they haven’t done anything to as far as remodeling or other work for the last 20 or 30 years. Then they look around and see all these apartments and duplexes going up around them, and they worry how it’s all going to affect their home’s value.”
County Assessor Scot Kersgaard noted his office “had not heard a thing” from people upset about their bills. He added DiTullio’s office received feedback since they sent the statements out and their contact information is included.
Kersgaard said a change to the statements is listing a home’s actual value instead of assessed value in past years.
“They’ve split the assessment rate into two different ones for schools and other local governments,” he explained.
Beginning with the 2025 property tax year — payable in 2026 — Colorado law created two different residential assessment rates: 7.05% for school district taxes — almost always the largest part of a property tax bill — and 6.25% for all other local government property taxes.
Because both assessment rates apply to the same residential property, “a single assessed value no longer accurately represents how taxes are calculated,” a notice on the county treasurer’s website reads. “As a result, the assessed value has been removed from the property tax statement” and replaced with a single “actual value” dollar figure.
Back in 2022, state lawmakers passed a bill to lower property tax assessment rates, reduce residential home valuations by $15,000 and direct property values be multiplied by a 6.95% assessment rate. A $55,000 property value exemption in place for 2023-24 used a 6.7% assessment rate.
Both measures were designed as temporary fixes and their joint expiration caused homeowners to see sharp increases after they had grown accustomed to lower tax payments.
DiTullio said the changes resulted in 15%-20% property tax hikes for most county residents.
He also noted taxpayers can get a potential refund — with interest — on their property taxes through the state’s abatement process, which can take several months.
Property owners have to fill out a detailed petition for abatement describing the grounds for an appeal. They can include up to the previous two years of tax statement valuation amounts.
If the property value being petitioned was already protested for the year(s) in question, no abatement or refund of taxes shall be made on grounds of overvaluation, according to an online assessor’s note.
DiTullio’s office also offers “EscrowTaxes,” described as “a simple, automated monthly payment plan for residential and commercial property taxes when no mortgage company is involved.”
Further clouding the tax statement issue are voter-approved local ballot measures to increase school and/or other special district mill levies such as fire districts.
Some metropolitan districts have increased tax rates in some areas, while nearby neighborhoods may have seen decreases as metro district bonds were paid off early.
“It’s all very complicated,” DiTullio said.
He added the county was almost late sending out the tax notices because all the changes had to be included in computer software programs.
Kersgaard also noted nearly annual property tax changes are made whenever the legislature passes a new bill to address the issue. That affects the county and over 200 other local taxing entities, Kersgaard stated.
The treasurer’s and assessor’s offices have more information for taxpayers who come in to their offices or visit their web pages on the county website.
