Most Whitfield residential properties won't be reassessed this year

Jun. 12—The Whitfield County tax assessor won't reassess all residential properties this year.

"Over the past few years, home sales in Whitfield County and much of North Georgia have increased substantially," said Whitfield County Chief Appraiser Ashley O'Donald. "After careful reflection, the Board of Assessors, during our regularly scheduled May business meeting, chose not to raise real estate values across the board in Whitfield County. Rather, it was decided to concentrate on areas of the county where the highest concentration of recent sales activity occurred."

O'Donald said this is typical for years in which the county doesn't do a countywide update.

Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jevin Jensen said only 10% of residential properties are being reassessed this year.

The tax assessor's office reassesses properties for tax purposes, collecting information on their condition and looking at recent sales prices in the neighborhood to determine their fair market value.

O'Donald said the properties that have been reassessed are "scattered throughout the entire county."

"We have seen increased sales activity in virtually all residential condominium neighborhoods," he said. "It's a market that has been growing since 2015 with our aging population choosing to retire from single-family home ownership and into condominium ownership. The condominium inventory hasn't caught up with demand yet, despite Orchard Place and Ivey Gate adding close to 100 condominiums onto the digest over the last two years."

O'Donald said in the single-family housing market Whitfield County's inventory isn't enough to satisfy demand, either.

"We've seen several areas with concentrated high sales activity," he said. "Within the city (of Dalton), neighborhoods such as Brookwood and Westerly Heights have seen concentrated high sales activity. Within the county, numerous subdivisions off Mill Creek Road, off Dawnville Road and off Dug Gap Road have also experienced high sales activity."

Under Georgia law, the assessment-to-market ratio must remain between 36% and 44%. The assessment-to-market ratio is the ratio of assessed value to the fair market value of property.

"We are within that value, and will remain within that range," said Jensen, when asked if assessing just 10% of residential properties might bring the tax digest out of compliance with state law.

Tunnel Hill resident Tom Wilson said it doesn't look like his assessment has gone up much.

"I have heard from some friends that their's did, so I am pretty happy," he said.

Jill Turner, who lives off Dug Gap Road, said her assessment has gone up quite a bit.

"I definitely wasn't expecting it," she said.