County Settles With Crown

To avoid a costly court battle, Boundary County officials settled a property tax dispute with Crown Pacific, operators of a sawmill here.

The county reduced the assessed value of the company’s sawmill from $5.1 million to $3 million. The move will cost the county about $115,000 in tax revenue.

The value of the mill had been contested for three years. The out-of-court settlement means the county loses about $45,000 the company paid in taxes in 1995, $32,000 paid last year and $47,000 paid in 1997. Instead of giving Crown Pacific a refund, the county will apply the money already collected toward future tax payments.

“A trial would have cost both Crown Pacific and taxpayers a great deal. The county is satisfied with the outcome of this settlement,” said Boundary County Prosecutor Denise Woodbury.

“We worked … to arrive at a solution that not only protected the county but that maintains a relationship with a significant regional employer.”

Crown Pacific is one of Boundary County’s top five employers. The company is building a $17 million sawmill in Bonners Ferry to replace its outdated mill.

A lawsuit over property taxes between Crown Pacific and Bonner and Kootenai counties is pending. , DataTimes