Showing posts with label king county assessor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label king county assessor. Show all posts

King County Assessor: Residential values rise, while values of large office buildings fall in a mixed real estate market

Thursday, July 4, 2024

Assessor John Wilson
The King County Assessor’s office has begun the annual process of mailing property valuation notices to taxpayers. Notices will be arriving soon. 

 Preliminary indications show most residential areas will increase a little over 10% on average. Commercial properties are more mixed depending on property type.

“After dramatic fluctuations in the residential market during the COVID years, values have returned to a steady level of increase,” said King County Assessor John Wilson. 
“The volatility now is in the commercial sector and among condominiums.”

Each year, County Assessors set values on every commercial and residential property value in the state. 

These values – set effective as of January 1 by state law – are then applied to the next year’s tax bill. Property values are being set as of January 1, 2024, for taxes due in 2025.

Data indicates that most residential market areas will see value increases this year. Those increases will range from the single digits in Seattle, to roughly 20% in some east King County areas. In 2022, some Eastside communities saw values soar 50% in year over year.

Residential condominiums saw fewer sales in 2023 and all across King County will experience a value decline, mostly in the single digits. Downtown Seattle condominiums will experience the largest drop in value.

Most commercial values will remain flat, with some exceptions. Industrial properties will see increases of up to 10% and larger offices will decrease between 30% and 35%, as long-term leases have expired, renewals are for shorter-terms and for far less space, and the vacancy rate increased. 

Eastside offices will see an average decrease of 30%, though the I-90 area will experience a 35% drop. 

Downtown Seattle, Pioneer Square, and Lake Union will experience 35% to 40% drops in value.

“Finally, it is always important to remember that voter approved special levies usually have more impact on property tax increases than do increases in home values,” added Wilson.

Each year as required by law, County Assessors appraise every commercial and residential parcel across the state of Washington. These values – set effective as of January 1 of the assessment year – are what is being used to calculate property taxes due next year, in this case, 2025. 

Notices of the new valuations will be arriving in King County neighborhoods on a rolling basis for the next several months and will reflect the value of properties as of January 1, 2024.

By state law, King County adjusts property values annually to reflect market sales. All 720,000-plus King County residential and commercial property owners receive an annual value update. 

Because of that volume, the Department of Assessments (DOA) releases value notices in stages, starting in the spring, continuing through the summer and generally wrapping up around Labor Day.

Receipt of the value notice triggers a 60-day window during which time a property owner can appeal their new value, but not specifically the taxes. It’s important to note that increased values don’t directly relate to potential tax increases. 

Property tax collection amounts are set yearly by taxing districts around the county; not the King County Department of Assessments.

To learn more about how property values and taxes are determined, the appeal process, the senior exemption or to use the taxpayer transparency tool, please visit here.


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King county assessor: Property values rose in Shoreline during 2020

Sunday, October 3, 2021

King County Assessor
John Wilson
The King County Assessor’s office is in the process of mailing annual property valuation notices to taxpayers. 

Notices to property owners will continue to arrive soon in many neighborhoods. 

Median residential property values rose by 15.4% in west Shoreline, and by 14.7% in east Shoreline.

Each year, County Assessors set values on every commercial and residential property value in the state. 

These values – set effective as of January 1 by state law – are then applied to the next year’s tax bill. Property values are being set as of January 1, 2021, for taxes due in 2022.

Data indicates that home sale prices and overall home values have risen sharply in most King County neighborhoods, including Shoreline, despite the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“No one knew what to expect a little over a year ago when this public health emergency began,” said Assessor John Wilson. 
“Now it is clear that a primary impact on property values has been caused by homeowners not wanting to sell at this time, leading to reduced supply and big price and value increases.”



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County Assessor calls on legislature to fix state laws to help small businesses hit by COVID-19 pandemic

Saturday, June 6, 2020

John Wilson
King County Assessor

Citing substantial drops in property values for some commercial sectors hard hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, King County Assessor John Wilson called on the legislature to amend state law to give assessors more tools to set values on commercial properties affected by the pandemic accurately.

The King County Assessor’s office is about to begin the annual process of mailing out re-valuation notices to taxpayers.

“The world today is radically different than it was on January 1 when state law has us set assessed values for next year’s taxes,” said Wilson. 
“While residential values have been relatively steady, many businesses have been either temporarily closed or their operations dramatically constrained. And thousands of workers have been laid off or furloughed. 
“But we don’t have the legal authority to adjust property values to reflect this reality. That is not fair or equitable,” said Wilson.

Each year, County Assessors appraise every commercial and residential parcel in the state. These values – set effective of January 1 by state law – are then applied to the next year’s tax bill. Property values are being set on January 1, 2020, for taxes due in 2021.

Data indicates that home sale prices and overall home values have been relatively flat in the aggregate compared to last year. As always, values vary from city to city and neighborhood to neighborhood – some are up, and some are down. One significant factor in residential home values in King County is the increase in values in suburbs around Seattle, especially in the south end.

Certain sectors of commercial properties, such as restaurants, mid- and small retail, recreational centers like gyms and yoga studios, plus hospitality properties like hotels, have been dramatically impacted by Gov. Jay Inslee’s “stay home” order.

The assessor’s office has been consulting with the Department of Revenue on possible tools in state law to adjust commercial values – and, most importantly, help people get back on their feet – by allowing values to reflect the current situation.

“If we’d been hit by a massive earthquake, flood or tsunami, state law would give us tools to reset fair values, but the law doesn’t cover a pandemic like COVID-19,” said Wilson. 
“It’s just not fair to smack some of these hard-hit businesses and landlords with values set well before COVID-19 raced through the community."

Wilson is asking the state legislature to amend state law to allow counties to adjust values to account for today's situation accurately. He has identified two options for the legislature to consider if there is a special session this year:

  • The law currently allows property owners to petition to have their value adjusted if a governmental restriction has an impact on the property. It is unclear whether COVID-19 government-imposed restrictions could be applied, so Wilson is proposing clarifying language.
  • State law allows assessors to adjust taxable values if the property is damaged by a natural disaster, but not because of a pandemic. Wilson wants to expand the law to cover impacts as a result of governmental restrictions enacted during a public health pandemic.

Roughly 55% of King County taxpayers pay their property taxes through their mortgage account on April 30. For the remainder who pay the property tax directly themselves, King County delayed the first payment deadline to June 1 without penalties or interest.

“This is simple,” said Wilson. “If your property values have been affected, you deserve to have that reflected in your 2020 valuation. If there is a special session, I hope the Governor and Legislature give us more tools to assess values accurately. 
"Also, I call on the federal government to continue and increase relief to all citizens and businesses struggling during this historic pandemic.”



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King County Assessor to be sworn in Tuesday in Shoreline

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

The Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Senior Center is proud to host King County Assessor John Wilson and King County Superior Court Presiding Judge Jim Rogers, at 10:30am on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 for a swearing in ceremony at the Center, located at 18560 1st Ave NE, Blg 1, Shoreline.

Mr. Wilson will also share information and take questions regarding the income limit changes and the property tax exemption program.



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Assessors in Shoreline - follow up

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

After a recently published story about appraisers for the King County Assessor's Office working in Shoreline, a reader asked if appraisers could enter his yard and worried about how his dogs might react.

According to a spokesperson for the Assessor's Office,

"State law authorizes us to enter every property in the state and requires it at a minimum of once every 6 years. We ask our appraisers to use common sense. If they see a threat such as a dog or a potentially dangerous situation they aren't going to approach it."

Another reader asked how to tell the difference between an authorized appraiser and a burglar casing the street.

The spokesperson said to ask them for ID, which all Assessor's office staff carry.

"Burglars are fast. They want to be in and out undetected. Our appraisers aren't nearly as quick. They are slow because they are documenting everything and taking pictures."

Other people who look suspicious but are authorized are City Light meter readers. They are supposed to wear uniforms, but not all do. They are supposed to carry ID. City Light is in the process of installing meters which will be read remotely, from their facilities. This will replace the door to door meter readers.



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Appraisers still working in Shoreline

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

The King County Assessor's office advised that they still have people working in Shoreline, doing current appraisals of homes.

According to the Department of Assessments, during physical inspections of an area, you may see appraisers:

  • Driving slowly along residential streets;
  • Parking and walking along residential streets;
  • Doing physical inspections of the front and rear of residences, including measurements;
  • Taking photographs of residences; and
  • Knocking on doors to speak to residents if the appraisers have questions about changes to or features of the property.
They carry identification and will show it when asked. They may drive King County vehicles or private vehicles.



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New King County Assessor calls for new tools on housing affordability

Monday, January 4, 2016

John Wilson
King County Assessor
Declaring that “We will aggressively pursue tools to help with the affordable housing crisis in King County,” King County Assessor John Wilson embraced an activist role Monday following his oath of office at the Kent Senior Center.
“We cannot have an economically sustainable community if we do nothing about affordable housing,” Wilson said. 
“That’s why my team has been busy since the election to shape and advance our Affordable Housing Tax Exemption idea. We will be in Olympia this month to urge state lawmakers that we need more tools in the housing affordability toolkit.”

Washington State Supreme Court Justice Chief Justice Mary Yu administered the oath to Wilson, who also addressed the needs of senior citizens at risk of losing their homes due to high property taxes.

Noting that the number of elderly citizens registering for the state’s low-income tax exemption program has declined in each of the past four years, the county’s newly elected assessor stated that, 
“Today, in a county of more than 2 million residents, we have only a little over 17,000 people registered. We are going to change that.”

Wilson said he will mount an aggressive effort to inform and sign-up seniors for the tax exemption. 

“We must not stand idly by while seniors risk losing their homes just because they do not know about and have not taken advantage of this property tax exemption,” he said. “This includes disabled veterans too,” he added.

Wilson also raised the touchy issue of increasing reliance on the property tax to fund off-budget services.

“Our tax system is fundamentally flawed,” he observed. “As we struggle to fund vital services I worry we’re setting stage for a public backlash. “Generous local voters have passed property tax levies for transportation, parks, emergency radios, Best Starts for Kids,” he continued. 
“But our reliance upon the property tax carries a steep price: adding to the housing affordability problem, income disparity that erodes the well-being of an already embattled middle class and the risk of voter disapproval and hobbling public services. I worry, that someone will decide the solution is some blunt force anti-tax initiative that might pass statewide but cripple us in King County.”

The complete text of Wilson’s address is available on the Department of Assessments website.

The King County Assessor's office dates back to the mid-1800's when Washington was still a territory. Today, the office of the Assessor handles assessments of more than 660,000 residential and commercial parcels in King County valued at $388 billion in 2015.



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Someone in your back yard? King County assessors are working in west Shoreline

Thursday, November 5, 2015

King County Assessors working in Richmond Beach, west side Shoreline neighborhoods through spring

By Susan Will, Richmond Beach Community News Editor

Just as it is always good to check out suspicious activity in your neighborhood, it is a relief when it turns out to be nothing nefarious. Fortunately that was the case recently when folks in Richmond Beach and Innis Arden learned that people checking out their houses work for King County.

Now through May 2016, staff from King County Department of Assessments are inspecting residential property on the west side of Shoreline (from west of Aurora to the water) to update property values.

Every property in King County receives a physical inspection to update its value at least once in each six-year revaluation cycle. Those areas not inspected in a given year have their values updated statistically.

The physical inspection confirms property characteristics, so appraisers are looking to ensure that all data on each property is accurate. Last year central Shoreline was inspected and properties on the east side of Shoreline will be inspected in 2017. Residential properties on the west side of Shoreline were last appraised in 2011.

According to the Department of Assessments, during physical inspections of an area, you may see appraisers:

  • Driving slowly along residential streets;
  • Parking and walking along residential streets;
  • Doing physical inspections of the front and rear of residences, including measurements;
  • Taking photographs of residences; and
  • Knocking on doors to speak to residents if the appraisers have questions about changes to or features of the property.

The five appraisers working in Shoreline carry King County identification and show it when introducing themselves to residents. They may be driving either King County or personal vehicles and work Monday through Friday during daylight hours.

Shoreline Police have descriptions of the employees and their personal vehicles including license plate numbers. To verify an appraiser's identification, contact the Department of Assessments at 206-296-7300, assessor.info@kingcounty.gov or Shoreline Police at 206-296-3311.

Also contact the Assessor’s Office if you have other questions or feel it has made an error in the characteristics of your property. You can request that the data be reviewed or explained by an appraiser and an Assessment Review can be initiated.

Note that the Department of Assessments does not set, collect or distribute property taxes. Each year, property taxes are determined by a combination of state and local government (schools, roads, parks, libraries, hospitals, city and county government), and your local taxing districts such as ports, fire districts, utility and sewer districts. The King County Treasury’s Office collects and distributes property tax revenue to state and local governments.

View more information about property assessments on the Department of Assessments website. More information about property tax here.



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2015 property values mailed to Area 1 West Shoreline and Area 3 East Shoreline

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Find out more about LocalScape here

On September 10, 2015, the office of King County Assessor Lloyd Hara mailed the 2015 property valuation notices for Area 1 – West Shoreline, where residential properties increased 6% on average; and Area 3 – East Shoreline, where residential properties increased 17% on average - one of the highest rates in King County. Individual property value may vary.

West Shoreline includes everything west of Aurora and East Shoreline includes everything east of I-5. Central Shoreline, where values increased 10% on average, received their valuations in early August.

The Assessor’s Office sets property valuations. It does not set taxes, and there is not a dollar-to-dollar correlation between your property value increase and future property taxes. King County taxpayers who need advice and assistance with property tax related matters, including appeals, should contact the King County Tax Advisor at 206-477-1060 or by email.

The Assessor’s Office recently launched LocalScape, a new interactive app, to track area and individual property value changes online, along with a rich landscape of neighborhood data including census, education, permits, and sales. Residents may track property value changes specifically for Area 1 – West Shoreline residents here and for Area 3 - East Shoreline here. Central Shoreline here. Individual property value history is available by selecting the “My Property” tab.

The King County Assessor’s Office annually revalues all properties and conducts a physical inspection of each property once every six years.

The 2015 property values are set as of January 1, 2015, and assessed at the full market value based on sales of comparable properties in the same area. For more information about property values, contact the Assessor’s Office at 206-296-7300, or email us at assessor.info@kingcounty.gov.

Property owners have 60 days after the mailing date listed on the property valuation notice to file an appeal of their assessed value with the Board of Appeals/Equalization. The Board is an independent body, separate from the Assessor’s Office, and is comprised of King County residents like yourself. 

Exemptions for qualified property owners 
Some low-income seniors, disabled veterans, and disabled persons retired because of a disability may be eligible for a property tax deferral or exemption. The King County Assessor’s Office encourages you or those you know to contact our office to determine eligibility. 

Go Paperless! Sign up for email property valuation notices
Property owners are able to pre-register to receive future valuation notices electronically via email using the six-digit EVN code printed on the front of the postcard. They also are able to scan a QR code from the card with a mobile device to pull up their property information on eReal property. 

Stay informed about Assessor Office updates and the 2015 revaluation cycle. Visit website or follow on Twitter and on Facebook.



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2015 Property Valuation Cycle underway

Friday, August 28, 2015

King County Assessor local residential areas

According to King County Assessor Lloyd Hara, you should look for your 2015 property valuation notice in the mail.

The first set of valuation postcards, which included central Shoreline, were already mailed to King County property owners, and the mailings will continue through October.

Still to come are west Shoreline, east Shoreline, and Lake Forest Park.

The notices list property values, which are determined by analyzing recent sales of comparable properties in the same area as of the January 1, 2015 assessment date. 

Visit the Assessor’s LocalScape My Revalue tab to stay informed about the 2015 revaluation cycle.



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Assessor's town hall meeting serves multiple residential areas

Monday, August 4, 2014

The King County Assessor's office will be holding a town meeting in Shoreline for residential property owners on Tuesday, August 12, from 6-7:30pm at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale N. See previous article.

Unfortunately, the meeting comes too late for property holders in the west section of Shoreline to use the information to appeal their assessments.

Phillip Sit, of the Assessor's office said,

"We attempt to schedule our town halls to ensure that as many areas within the meeting location still have their 60 day deadline to appeal. In the case of this upcoming Shoreline meeting on August 12th, West Central Shoreline (Area 2 – 1,446 parcels) and East Shoreline (Area 3 – 1,119 parcels) appeal deadline is August 18th. Our office understands where concerns are coming from, and hope that residents from West Shoreline interested in learning more about the Assessor’s Office will attend our town hall."

The Assessor’s Office has broken up King County into 86 residential areas. Given the size of King County and the number of parcels involved (700,000+), the valuation process starts in May and continues through to October. Residential areas are not sent out by city limits, hence there are situations where one part of a city might receive their valuation notice prior to another part of the city.

Shoreline is divided into three sections: West, West Central, and East. Lake Forest Park is included with West Kenmore in a different section. West Shoreline received their notices weeks before East Shoreline.

This town hall meeting is a regional event which includes not only Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, but North Seattle and Northgate. 


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King County Assessor Lloyd Hara reports on the past year

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Lloyd Hara
King County Assessor
Information from an informal newsletter that Lloyd Hara sends occasionally

By Lloyd Hara, King County Assessor

Earlier this month I went to Pittsburgh for the National Organization of County Officials (NACO) convention. On behalf of the Department of Assessments, I proudly accepted 2012 Achievement Awards for:

  • Our GIS (Geographic Information System) Integrator
  • A Re-engineered Property Valuation Notice Program
  • The eReal Property web app

There's more where that came from. Recall a minor media frenzy back in July of 2010? "County Office Buys iPads During Tough Economic Times"!

That edgy investment evolved into iRealProperty™, an app that helps appraisers work smarter during these tough economic times, in ways that are drawing attention around the state and around the nation.

We also demo'd BOE eAppeals to WSACA's CTC. [Translation: our Board Of Equalization online appeals tool, at the Washington State Association of County Assessors' Computer Technology Committee - which I chair, by the way.] We plan to roll out eAppeals for general public use later in 2012.

As usual I'm bopping around the County - 475 outreach events and counting - to meet with civic groups, real estate people, local officials and inquiring taxpayers.

I'm not on the ballot this year, but several tax-related items are. These include a 7-year property tax levy for Seattle libraries, a 9-year levy for County youth services, and a 30-year levy for Seattle's seawall.

As the Seattle Times reminds us in a striking editorial page graphic illustration, a major share of property taxes in King County are voter-approved. Please pay close attention to the tax levies on your August primary and November general election ballots.

As promised, we revived the Department's college internship program, and four of our interns just completed their Masters in Public Administration at the UW Evans School of Public Affairs.

This graduate school's 50th Anniversary in 2012 has deep meaning for one public servant whose career began at the School, at its beginning, back in 1962.

Marking this milestone, I set up an Endowed Fund to open doors for worthy Evans scholars from diverse backgrounds with particular interest in local government.


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King County Assessor Hara vows not to "nickel and dime" property owners

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

According to a story published June 1 in The Seattle Times:

King County Assessor Lloyd Hara is studying whether thousands of properties have been significantly undervalued for tax purposes, and whether their owners should be billed for underpayment — even though the owners may have paid their tax bills in full.

Because the county has the authority, in cases of "manifest error," to bill landowners for three years of past taxes, millions of dollars could be at stake.


The King County Assessor's Office responded today:

Inquiry continues into unreported assets by Chase Bank

Past property values that remained unchanged in recent years will be left as-is following a review of the property tax rolls, but King County Assessor Lloyd Hara (pictured) today directed staff to conduct an audit of business property reported by the old Washington Mutual after a discrepancy was found in a recent report filed by new buyer JP Morgan Chase.
"Harley Hoppe, a former Assessor from more than 20 years ago, brought us three examples of assessed values he thought weren't accurate. He told the same thing to the County Council and the County Executive, and several Council members asked me to look into it.," said Hara. "So far, we haven't found any sweeping error or oversight."

"As of now, I've told staff there will be no changes to anyone's past assessed value, no one is getting a new tax statement, but we are going to look into the Chase Bank situation."

The Seattle Times reported that Hoppe thought there were three areas to review:
  • Properties where values hadn't changed in recent years;
  • Properties where the sales price was significantly higher than the assessed value;
  • Personal business property that was under-reported or unreported by businesses operating in King County.

Hoppe cited Chase Bank as having not reported as much as $300 million in fine art it acquired when it took over Washington Mutual. Hara said King County records show that Washington Mutual reported $5,868 in art work its last year while Chase Bank reported zero. Business property, such as artwork, is subject to county tax through a self-reporting system. It is unclear why Chase did not report the artwork, so Hara directed staff to conduct a more detailed audit of assets as Washington Mutual was taken over by the giant New York bank.

Hara, who was elected Assessor just last November, said his staff reviewed the County's entire tax roll of 660,000 parcels and came up with 38,400 where values didn't change from 2008 to 2009.  Upon more in-depth inspection, Hara said roughly a third of those were properties exempt from taxes - such as publicly-held property or those with a senior exemption - and the remainder showed no value change for a variety of legitimate reasons. For example, the value of a property seldom changes significantly the year after County appraisers have conducted a physical inspection. State law requires every parcel to be physically inspected once every six years.

The Assessor's office is examining Hoppe's other assertions, but has not yet come to any conclusion. "We're simply doing our due diligence," said Hara.

Based upon the number of emails he's received, Hara said he also wanted to clear up some misunderstandings. Hara said he was simply responding to issues raised by Hoppe, just as the Assessor has for other taxpayers. Hara said County Council members asked him to look into the issues but it wasn't initiated by the Assessor. In addition, Hoppe has no financial relationship with the Assessor's office.
"I know how sensitive taxpayers are right now about their property taxes. I've been hearing them at town meetings around King County," Hara added. "But I'm also concerned that media coverage may have created a misimpression that we were somehow looking at sending everyone a new property tax statement for past years. We are not."
"Property taxes have to be fair and equitable. The review we conducted quickly led me to conclude there was no across-the-board, systemic problem of properties being overlooked. We're continuing to review the situation with the Prosecuting Attorney's Office and will review the major business property cases as part of our routine due diligence."

"We all know King County is in a financial pinch," said Hara, "But this office, while I'm Assessor, is not going to be nickel and diming every taxpayer in some crazy attempt to balance our budget. We can do better than that."

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Property tax assessments: county officials come to Shoreline Monday May 3

Saturday, May 1, 2010


King County Assessor Lloyd Hara

hosts Town Hall meeting

DATE: Monday, May 3

TIME: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm (revised time)

PLACE: Shoreline Public Library

345 NE 175th Street

TOPIC: Property Tax Assessments

Meet King County Assessor Lloyd Hara and his staff. 

Honorable Bob Ferguson, Chair of the King County Council will introduce the Assessor. 
Representatives from the Board of Equalization, 
King County Treasury and 
King County Tax Advisor 
will help answer questions about property assessments and values, exemptions and the appeals process.

For more information about the Town Hall meeting visit the King County Assessor’s website,

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King County Assessor Lloyd Hara hosts Town Hall meeting in Shoreline

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

On Monday, May 3, from 7 - 8:30 pm, at the Shoreline Public Library, 345 NE 175th St, meet King County Assessor Lloyd Hara and his staff, who will be discussing Property Tax Assessments.

Bob Ferguson, Chair of the King County Council, will introduce the Assessor. Representatives from the Board of Equalization, King County Treasury and King County Tax Advisor will help answer questions about property assessments and values, exemptions and the appeals process.

For more information about the Town Hall meeting please contact Edna Shim or visit the King County Assessor’s website.

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The King County Assessor's Office invites you to its first Open House!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

King County Assessor Lloyd Hara's office is hosting an Open House on Thursday, January 28, from 4 to 6 pm at the King County Administration Building, 7th floor conference room, 500 4th Ave, Seattle WA 98104. The open house is an opportunity for citizens to meet their County Assessor and his staff in an informal setting. Cake and coffee will be served. Please RSVP your attendance by Monday, January 25 to Special Assistant for Community Relations Edna Shim,

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