The Assessor strives to provide the citizens and taxpayers of Rio Blanco County with an assessment process that ensures fair and equitable valuations of all properties within the county's boundaries, and to ensure that all properties are valued in accordance with the laws that govern the Assessor's Office.

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Colorado law 39-1-104 (10.2) (a) C.R.S. requires a two-year reassessment cycle for all taxable real property. The Assessor mails a Notice of Value (NOV) by May 1st of every odd numbered year. The Notice of Value will describe the property you own and give the value used for the next year’s taxes. You have the right to appeal your value each year regardless of value changes. The Assessor’s Office hears appeals on real property valuations in May of each year. In an intervening year (even numbered year) only those properties with a change of 75% in actual value will receive a Notice of Value.

Date Action
1/1 Assessment date for all property in Colorado
1/12 Assessor delivers the tax warrant to Treasurer
ASAP In January, Assessor mails Personal Property, Oil & Gas, and Natural Resources declarations
4/15 Personal Property, Oil & Gas, and Natural Resources declaration schedules due
5/1 Assessor mails Notice of Valuation to every Real Property owner (Intervening years; even numbered year notices are mailed only if the property's actual value increased by 75% or more from the previous year)
5/2 1st working day after Notice of Valuation is mailed, protest period for Real Property begins
6/8 Real Property protest period ends
6/15 Assessor mails Notice of Valuation to every Personal Property, Oil & Gas, and Natural Resources owner
6/15 Protest period begins for Personal Property, Oil & Gas, and Natural Resources
6/30 Last working day in June, Assessor mails Real Property Notice of Determination 
6/30 Deadline to file Personal Property, Oil & Gas, and Natural Resources protests
7/1 CBOE hearings begin for both Real and Personal Property.
7/10 Assessor mails Notice of Determination for Personal Property protest
7/15 Deadline for homeowners to submit Senior or Veteran Exemption forms to Assessor's Office
7/15 Deadline for filing a CBOE appeal for Real Property
7/20 Deadline for filing a CBOE appeal for Personal Property, Oil & Gas, and Natural Resources
8/5 CBOE hearings end for both Real & Personal Property
8/25 Deadline for Assessor to file Abstract of Assessment and School District Qualified Local Share report with Administrator
8/25 Deadline for Assessor to file Certification of Value with each taxing entity
12/10  Deadline to recertify values to taxing entities
12/22 Commissioners certify and levy taxes for the current year

 

 

 

Pursuant to C.R.S. 24-72-205, the Assessor’s office may charge for preparation and copies of requested documents.

Requests made for ownership research for real estate or minerals completed by the staff will be assessed at $30.00 per hour after the first hour. The balance needs to be paid before the data is released. Credit Cards are allowed via the Rio Blanco County Treasurer.

Mineral ownership research will only be completed on two sections per request. More than two sections will require someone else to complete the research.

Plat pages (including digital camera photos) are $1.00 each per section for mineral and surface.

Residential and Ag sales spreadsheets are also available. Subscriptions to the spreadsheets are $20.00 each per year. Once you subscribe for the year, an email will be sent once a month with an updated spreadsheet.

Western Cartographer maps are available in our office. They are $30.00. To mail the book, an additional $12.00 will be added. The information is as of February 2021.

Pursuant to Colorado State Statute C.R.S. Article 3, Title 39, all taxable and exempt property is valued by the county assessor valuation criteria as stipulated by statute and by using manuals, appraisal procedures, and instructions issued by the Property Tax Administrator. The total value as determined by the County Assessor is certified to the county entities and the state. Each entity certifies a mill levy to the Assessor and then it is the duty of the Assessor to extend the tax on all property assessed and direct the County Treasurer to collect the taxes.

All property, real and personal, located in the State of Colorado on the assessment date, January 1, is taxable unless expressly exempted by the Constitution or state statutes. Article X, Section 3, Colorado Constitution, and 39-1-102 (16), C.R.S.

Most property in Colorado is valued using the three approaches to value: the market approach, the cost approach, and the income approach. The exception to the three approaches includes residential real property (market only), agricultural land, and natural resource land (special valuation procedures based on productivity and production).

The market, cost, and income data that county assessors use to apply the appropriate approaches to value are collected during specific periods prescribed by statute and represent a certain “level of value”.

Property taxes are not calculated on the “full actual value” as determined by the assessor. Instead, an assessment rate is applied according to the classification of the property. The current assessment rates can be found at Current Assessment Rates | Colorado Department of Local Affairs Division of Property Taxation.

Property owners will be sent a Notice of Valuation (NOV) each year when the value changes. The NOV must be mailed to owners no later than May 1. The NOV states the actual value that the assessor has assigned to the property. The purpose of this notice is to inform owners of any changes in value for their property and gives instructions on how to appeal the value.

If a taxpayer disagrees with the value assigned by the assessor, the taxpayer can protest (in person or in writing) during the statutory protest period. For Real Property, the protest period is between May 1 and June 8. For Personal Property, the protest period is between June 15 and July 5. Outside the protest period, if taxpayers would like to discuss their property, the Assessor’s office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (excluding holidays) to answer any questions and to ensure that all values are fair.

The Assessor wants the correct value for all properties in Rio Blanco County.

All personal and written protests received during the protest period are processed and reviewed. The assessor and staff will correct all erroneous or improper valuations. If the assessor determines that the value is correct, no adjustments will be applied. A Notice of Determination will be sent to each taxpayer. The NOD will give reason(s) to support the changes or the denial. It will also give information regarding the taxpayer’s right of appeal to the County Board of Equalization.
No. The Assessor does not assign taxes. The assessment rate is set by the State Legislature. Mill levies are set each year by the taxing authorities.
Property ownership cannot be changed until necessary recorded documents are received.

For more details on this procedure, please contact an attorney.