Doña Ana County Assessor Andy Segovia will mail 2014 property-valuation notices on April 1, which will include information used to calculate tax bills in November.
In all, about 110,000 notices will be mailed out. The official mailing date for 2014 is April 1, and the 2014 deadline to file a protest or to claim one or more exemptions is April 30. Exemptions available include those for heads-of-family, veterans, developer discounts and/or valuation freezes for individuals who are 65 years of age and meet state income requirements.
Property owners can use a new automated system – available on the Assessor’s Office webpage – to fill out protest forms and exemption applications. The protest form and other applications can be submitted to the Assessor's Office electronically. All forms can still be submitted in person, faxed or mailed to 845 N. Motel Boulevard in Las Cruces.
For tax year 2014, Segovia estimates that Doña Ana County will see about a 2 percent increase in the overall taxable value, which is mostly due to new construction. The taxable value countywide will total about $4 billion, but Segovia said that figure will change as property owners file protests.
Segovia said most growth in the tax base originates from two sources: new construction and increases in the assessed valuation for existing properties which are below current market value. Assessed value is influenced by the market, any new renovations or building additions and, in the case of most residences, a state law caps the valuation increase of these homes at 3 percent per year.
Property-tax obligations in 2014 will be based on the taxable value, which is one-third of the full assessed value.
"As County Assessor, I have and will continue to maintain a public-outreach program through which I will host community meetings on March 27and April 3 to educate and assist our taxpayers with the assessment and protest process,” Segovia said.
For more information, contact the Doña Ana County Assessor’s Office at (575) 647-7400.