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2011 Jefferson County Property Assessment Study

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2011 Jefferson County Property Assessment Study 2011 JEFFERSON COUNTY PROPERTY ASSESSMENT STUDY September 15, 2011 Mr. Mike Mauer Director of Research Colorado Legislative Council Room 029, State Capitol Building Denver, Colorado 80203 RE: Final Report for the 2011 Colorado Property Assessment Study Dear Mr. Mauer: Wildrose Appraisal Inc.-Audit Division is pleased to submit the Final Reports for the 2011 Colorado Property Assessment Study. These reports are the result of two analyses: A procedural audit and a statistical audit. The procedural audit examines all classes of property. It specifically looks at how the assessor develops economic areas, confirms and qualifies sales, develops time adjustments and performs periodic physical property inspections. The audit reviews the procedures for determining subdivision absorption and subdivision discounting. Valuation methodology is examined for residential properties and commercial properties. Procedures are reviewed for producing mines, oil and gas leaseholds and lands producing, producing coal mines, producing earth and stone products, severed mineral interests, and non- producing patented mining claims. Statistical audits are performed on vacant land, residential properties, commercial/industrial properties and agricultural land. A statistical analysis is performed for personal property compliance on the eleven largest counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, Pueblo and Weld. The remaining counties receive a personal property procedural study. Wildrose Appraisal Inc. – Audit Division appreciates the opportunity to be of service to the State of Colorado. Please contact us with any questions or concerns. Harry J. Fuller Project Manager Wildrose Appraisal Inc. – Audit Division T ABLE OF C ONTENTS Introduction ............................................................................................3 Regional/Historical Sketch of Jefferson County .................................................4 Ratio Analysis...........................................................................................6 Random Deed Analysis ......................................................................................... 7 Time Trending Verification..........................................................................8 Sold/Unsold Analysis .................................................................................9 Agricultural Land Study ............................................................................ 11 Agricultural Land ............................................................................................. 11 Agricultural Outbuildings ................................................................................... 12 Sales Verification..................................................................................... 13 Economic Area Review and Evaluation .......................................................... 14 Natural Resources ................................................................................... 15 Earth and Stone Products .................................................................................... 15 Vacant Land........................................................................................... 16 Possessory Interest Properties ..................................................................... 17 Personal Property Audit............................................................................ 18 Wildrose Auditor Staff.............................................................................. 20 Appendices............................................................................................ 21 2011 Jefferson County Property Assessment Study – Page 2 I NTRODUCTION The procedural analysis includes all classes of property and specifically looks at how the assessor develops economic areas, confirms and qualifies sales, and develops time adjustments. The State Board of Equalization (SBOE) The audit also examines the procedures for reviews assessments for conformance to the adequately discovering, classifying and valuing Constitution. The SBOE will order agricultural outbuildings, discovering revaluations for counties whose valuations do subdivision build-out and subdivision not reflect the proper valuation period level of discounting procedures. Valuation value. methodology for vacant land, improved residential properties and commercial The statutory basis for the audit is found in properties is examined. Procedures for C.R.S. 39-1-104 (16)(a)(b) and (c). producing mines, oil and gas leaseholds and lands producing, producing coal mines, The legislative council sets forth two criteria producing earth and stone products, severed that are the focus of the audit group: mineral interests and non-producing patented mining claims are also reviewed. To determine whether each county assessor is applying correctly the constitutional and Statistical analysis is performed on vacant land, statutory provisions, compliance requirements residential properties, commercial industrial of the State Board of Equalization, and the properties, agricultural land, and personal manuals published by the State Property Tax property. The statistical study results are Administrator to arrive at the actual value of compared with State Board of Equalization each class of property. compliance requirements and the manuals published by the State Property Tax To determine if each assessor is applying Administrator. correctly the provisions of law to the actual values when arriving at valuations for Wildrose Audit has completed the Property assessment of all locally valued properties Assessment Study for 2011 and is pleased to subject to the property tax. report its findings for Jefferson County in the following report. The property assessment audit conducts a two- part analysis: A procedural analysis and a statistical analysis. 2011 Jefferson County Property Assessment Study – Page 3 R EGIONAL/HISTORICAL S KETCH OF J EFFERSON C OUNTY Regional Information Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Jefferson County is located in the Front Range Pueblo, and Weld counties. region of Colorado. The Colorado Front Range is a colloquial geographic term for the populated areas of the State that are just east of the foothills of the Front Range. It includes 2011 Jefferson County Property Assessment Study – Page 4 Historical Information Jefferson County has a population of county seat of Jefferson County. Robert approximately 534,543 people with 692.41 Williamson Steele, Governor of the Provisional people per square mile, according to the U.S. Government of the Territory of Jefferson from Census Bureau's 2010 census data. This 1859 to 1861, built his home in the county at represents a 1.42 percent change from the Mount Vernon and later at Apex. 2000 Census. The Jefferson Territory never received federal Jefferson County is one of the seventeen sanction, but during his last week in office, original territorial counties. On August 25, President James Buchanan signed an act which 1855, the Kansas Territorial Legislature organized the Territory of Colorado on created Arapahoe County to govern the entire February 28, 1861. That November 1, the new western portion of the territory. The county Colorado General Assembly organized the 17 was named for the Arapaho Nation of Native original counties of Colorado, including a new Americans that lived in the region. Jefferson County. In 1908, the southern tip of Jefferson County was transferred to Park In July 1858, gold was discovered along the County, reducing Jefferson County to its South Platte River in Arapahoe County (in present length of 54 miles. Several annexations present day Englewood). This discovery by the City & County of Denver and the 2001 precipitated the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. Many consolidation of the City & County of residents of the mining region felt disconnected Broomfield removed eastern portions of the from the remote territorial governments of county. Kansas and Nebraska, so they voted to form their own Territory of Jefferson on October A major employer in Jefferson County is the 24, 1959. The following month, the Jefferson large Coors Brewing Company in Golden. Territorial Legislature organized 12 counties Also, the state-supported Colorado School of for the new territory, including Jefferson Mines is located in Jefferson County, offering County. Jefferson County was named for the programs in mining and engineering. The namesake of the Jefferson Territory, Thomas county seat is Golden and the most populous Jefferson, the principal author of the city is Lakewood. Declaration of Independence and the nation's (www.wikipedia.org) third president. Golden City served as the 2011 Jefferson County Property Assessment Study – Page 5 R ATIO A NALYSIS Methodology latter measures, but were counseled if there All significant classes of properties were were anomalies noted during our analysis. analyzed. Sales were collected for each Qualified sales were based on the qualification property class over the appropriate sale period, code used by each county, which were typically which was typically defined as the 18-month coded as either “Q” or “C.” The ratio analysis period between January 2009 and June 2010. included all sales. The data was trimmed for Counties with less than 30 sales typically counties with obvious outliers using IAAO extended the sale period back up to 5 years standards for data analysis. In every case, we prior to June 30, 2010 in 6-month increments.
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