Board of Equalization to finalize decisions July 25

Kimball County Zoning Administrator Sheila Newell questioned the validity of assessments made on several Kimball County properties when the Kimball County Board of Equalization heard tax valuation protests.

A total of 18 protests were heard, many with multiple properties, beginning on Monday, July 11 through Wednesday, July 13, regarding agricultural, rural residential and single family properties.

One such protest came from Klent Schnell, on Monday, July 11, regarding several properties owned and operated by his family’s company, WJD Ranch, Co.

Schnell was accompanied and represented by Newell, who is also a Certified General Real Property Appraiser and Real Estate Broker. Newell has previously served as special master on the Nebraska Tax Equalization and Review Committee (TERC).

Schnell stated that a number of buildings that were tallied had been torn down as of January 1, 2016.

Winstrom said that unless a citizen reports changes, she has no way of knowing and the information would have helped in the calculation of the values.

Schnell continued that within rural properties there are different types of grounds to be considered, such as pure grass or pure irrigated.

“There seems to be a lot of discrepancies,” Newell said. “The report is only as good as the data.”

While the land values have increased, as have the rural residential homes, Schnell reported that in Bushnell, Dix and Kimball, the home property values have remained the same – making the assessor’s report inconsistent.

“I don’t know where she (Kimball County Assessor, Sherry Winstrom) came up with this,” Newell said. “When we reviewed the reports and opinions of 2016...if you have incorrect data, you are going to get incorrect statistics,” Newell added.

Winstrom had provided a list to the general public with 83 sales that were used for her reports and opinions, but there were not actually a total of eighty-three sales that were listed or verified, according to Newell.

“In addition to support that the statistical report is skewed,” stated Newell, “I have reviewed the sales that are on this sheet and have highlighted the sales that are incorrect data.”

Newell added that she did not check each and every sale, as she didn’t feel that it was her job to do so, but handed the board a thick pile of paperwork comprised of the “incorrect data” that she found in her research to bring to the county protest.

“The sales were not verified, which is required by the regulations. In fact, it’s statute 77-13-71,” Newell said. “I’ve been able to verify every sale and get details.”

Newell continued with the representation of her client by providing the board with sales of rural residential properties and agricultural properties within the past year, for comparisons to like properties within the county.

Winstrom sought, and the board granted, additional time to review the evidence in this case. The protest will be heard again on Tuesday, July 19.