Assessment improving

The front-page article this morning (April 26) “Audit finds late appraisals” piqued my interest. The current Spokane County assessor, like all of her predecessors, apparently inherited a lot of problems. Unlike some of her predecessors, it sounds like she is managing to do something about some or all of them.

I have been an independent residential real estate appraiser in Spokane for almost 19 years, and there have always been some properties that didn’t get on the tax rolls in timely fashion. I have noticed fewer now than in the past, so they are making progress.

Also, I HAVE found untaxed properties in the past. If the state audit found none, then that is also progress.

With the legal constraints they are forced to work under, the assessor’s office appears to be doing about as good a job as we can expect, especially when compared with what has happened in the past.

Michael Renner

Spokane