PORTAGE | Some 60 residents learned Monday night that making heads or tails out of one's property tax bill can be a taxing experience.
Mayor Olga Velazquez said in the face of a great deal of confusion over sharp increases and some slight decreases in property tax amounts due, her Mayor's Night Out event was a good opportunity to address concerns before certain filing deadlines expire.
"We haven't seen a consistent pattern across the board," Velazquez said.
Porter County Auditor Jim Kopp said in many cases there's a jump in property taxes due because the assessments have been off for years.
"I think, by and large, Portage Township has been pretty consistent," he said. "There are other pockets of the county that had been assessed pretty low and have now been brought up."
One area in the city that's not been accurate is the Birdland neighborhood, near Woodland Park, Portage Township Assessor Maureen Wendrickx said. Homes there have been underassessed for decades, with one resident saying her assessment jumped about $51,000 this year, Wendrickx said.
There may be some relief for Portage Township residents who can prove their assessed value is inaccurate, she said.
She said the first step is to make an appointment to talk to her about it. Usually, if there's a discrepancy, it can be solved there. If not, Wendrickx said it goes through an appeals process, but an application to appeal must be completed by April 13.
Kopp said there also has been confusion over a senior citizen deduction. Many retired steelworkers in the area, Kopp said, have pensions that push them over thresholds established by the state to give senior citizens a special exemption on their property taxes.
"There are a lot of people, older, in this city, who need all the exemptions they can get," Kopp said.
Another problem, Wendrickx said, stems from the economic downturn and a fall in home prices. She said with trending, there may be some instances in which a home bought just a few years ago is now assessed for less than the purchase price.
