A dubious title: Rosalia now county’s highest-taxed town

Residents of Rosalia this year have bumped Farmington for the dubious honor of being the highest taxed town in Whitman County. Declining property values for the tax base increased the levy rates faced by Rosalia taxpayers. They will pay $18.53 in taxes for each $1,000 of assessed value on the property they own.

County commissioners Monday approved Assessor Joe Reynold’s 2011 levy rates.

Due to falling assessments on private property and utilities, Rosalia’s levy rate rose 40 cents from last year’s $18.13 total.

Farmington’s 2011 rate of $18.44 will be down seven cents from the 2010 rate of $18.51. Farmington has held the “most taxed” title for several years, Reynolds said.

Reynolds said less gas is running through the pipeline through Rosalia, which dropped the utility assessment which is done by the state.

Rosalia’s base operating levy, which funds state, county and city taxes, along with the Port of Whitman County, increased from $6.98 in 2010 to $7.29. Voter-approved levies for the school, city streets and park and recreation district rose from $11.16 last year to $11.23 this year.

Lamont maintained its hold on the lowest rung. Residents there will pay $11.45 per $1,000 in 2011, compared to $11.57 last year.

For 2011, Lamont has the lowest rate of voter-approved levies at $3.85 per $1,000 assessed value, which fell from $4.26 last year. The base levy actually increased from $7.31 to $7.61.

The average rate for residents in Whitman County’s 16 incorporated towns this year is $14.59 per $1,000. For the entire county, the average rate for 2011 is $12.25 per $1,000.

In total, Whitman County’s current expense fund will pull $4,061,077 in property tax revenue from the $2,769,339,855 in taxable property.

In unincorporated taxing districts, the Thornton area claimed the 2011 top spot from the area around Skyline.

The Thornton district, number 110, had its levy rate raise from $16.21 in 2010 to $16.52 in 2011. While base taxes fell from $8.58 to $7.83, the amount of voter-approved taxes went up from $7.63 to $8.70.

Tax district 53, the Skyline neighborhood north of Farmington, saw its tax rate fall from $16.45 last year to $15.63 this year.