Some Deschutes County homeowners see bigger tax hike

The Deschutes County Assessor’s Office sent out property tax notices recently, and some people are seeing a bigger increase than others.

This is the first year Bend-La Pine Schools taxpayers will see an increase for a new $268.3 million bond.

According to County Assessor Scot Langton, they will see a 5 percent increase in taxes this year. Others across the county will see far less.

“If you’re in Redmond or Sisters, because there was no new bond measures, and the county lowered their rate and there was a retired fairgrounds bond, then that actually created — even though their value went up 3 percent, their taxes went up around 1 1/2 percent,” Langton said Wednesday.

James Fenwick, who lives in the Bend-La Pine district, said the increase was not as much as he thought it would be.

He added he has seen the area grow in his time here, and he understands the increase in taxes is an investment in the community.

“When I moved to Bend, originally 15,000, and now its pressing on 100,000 (population),” Fenwick said. “And so you’ve got to be real about what that means, if you are going to be a homeowner and support your community.”

Fenwick added that he was in favor of the Bend La Pine Schools bond, because he sees a need for new schools in the area.

He also said he paid his taxes early to get a discount on the taxes.

The final due date for property taxes in Deschutes County is Nov. 15.

More information: https://www.deschutes.org/assessor