Wading through the Oregon property tax system may give people a sinking feeling. The Coos County assessor-elect would like to throw out a rescue line.

Coos County Chief Deputy and Assessor-elect Adam Colby will give a series of presentations in cities around the county this month outlining how taxes are figured in the state.

“The Oregon property tax system is arguably one of the most complicated in the U.S.,” Colby said.

That will be especially true this year. When the tax rolls turn over on Sept. 25 and property owners start getting tax notices, they may pick up on something that seems a bit unusual: Their property’s assessed value — the value which taxes are based on — will have gone up, while the market value has gone down.

How is that possible?

The simple answer is market value and assessed value are figured on two different sets of criteria. According to Colby, real market value is defined as the price a property would sell for in a transaction between a willing buyer and willing seller on the assessment date for that tax year. The assessment date is Jan. 1, based on sales from the prior year. Colby said this value is based on a best-case scenario, in which neither the buyer or seller is rushed to make a deal.

Assessed value is figured on a predictable rate of growth. First established in 1997 after Oregon voters passed Measure 50, a measure which set limits on the growth of assessed values, the maximum assessed value on a property grows 3 percent annually. The first maximum assessed value on properties was set at the 1995-96 real market value minus 10 percent. Assessed values can grow more than 3 percent under some circumstances, such as if improvements have been made to a property.

Unlike assessed value, real market value has no limits on how much it can grow — or shrink.

That may be the rub for property owners this year. Some may see the property they own worth less than last year, yet they are obligated to pay more taxes. This is possible because assessed value often trails behind market value, and as long as the assessed value is the smaller of the two, it will continue to grow by 3 percent each year.

“We are anticipating this year that people will see this,” Colby said.

Staff at the assessor’s office don’t expect to see taxes going down. Real market values really would have to bottom out before assessed values would catch up in most cases.

“It would have to be a real draconian situation for that to happen,” Colby said.

On average, assessed value is about 56 percent of market value.

If people still think their property value is off, there is an appeals process available. First, property owners can request an appraisal review at any time during the tax year. The appraisal will be conducted by an assessor’s office appraiser.

“If our value is too high, we will lower it, “ Colby said.

If the review doesn’t lower the value and the owner still thinks something is amiss, the next step is a petition to the Board of Property Tax Appeals by no later than Dec. 31. If a satisfactory decision isn’t settled upon, property owners can take the appeal up three more levels, starting with the magistrate division, then moving to Oregon Tax Court and finally to the Oregon State Supreme Court.

This month’s presentations are not the only time people can ask questions about property taxes. Colby said staff at the assessor’s office are happy to answer questions at any time.

“The goal is to be helpful to people,” Colby said.

The Coos County Assessor’s Office is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to Noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, those interested can call 396-3121, ext. 274 or go to http://assessor.cooscotax.com.