Assessors show valuation decline in Holt County

Local entities that depend on tax receipts for operation will soon make levy decisions as they consider their annual budgets.

Real estate valuations certified recently by Nebraska county assessors, including Kelly Mueller in Antelope County and Tim Wallinger in Holt County, factor into those decisions.

Antelope County’s total valuation for 2019 is certified at $2,483.485,076, up just over $24 million or 0.98% from 2018. Mueller attributed nearly $34 million of the total value to growth (new construction), about $10 million more than the overall increase.

The rise comes after two years of decreasing value in the county. Mueller said at a meeting last week that ag land values remained static. Values in all five villages in the county increased, some significantly, due to reappraisals.

According to figures received from Karlee Hofer in Wallinger’s office, Holt County’s value declined by nearly $97 million, to $3,373,890,676, a drop calculated at 2.79%.

“The main point of interest is that most valuations are down this year because of irrigated acre values (in Holt County) being lower in 2019,” Wallinger said.

The value of real estate in Clearwater village limits showed a significant increase, up 13.99% to $11,875 this year.

Orchard value now sits at $16,863,427, up 12.77%, while Royal saw the largest increase in the county, up 20.47% to $1,499,041.

Oakdale value went up 19.49% and Brunswick, 12.52%, while the county’s three cities saw a modest change, with Elgin up about 3%, Neligh up 2% and Tilden, down about 2%.

In Holt County, Ewing village value saw a 3.04% increase to $10,897,715, while the value of real property in Page increased 5.02% to $5,567,856.

The Ewing and Orchard school districts include property in both Antelope and Holt counties. The Ewing district lies primarily in Holt County, while the Orchard district includes more Antelope County value.

The value for the Ewing district in Holt County shows a 5.5% decrease, while the Antelope County value for the district was up 0.98%, resulting in a combined decrease in the two counties of $14.4 million (4.9%).

Orchard’s school district includes taxable property in Holt, Antelope and Knox counties. Values decreased 5.92% in Holt and increased slightly in Antelope for a total value of district property in the two counties of $451,985,198, down by about $6 million or 1.33%. The district’s value in Knox County this year is $20,826,557.