Douglas County sends $38 million in refund checks to property owners

Douglas County this month issued refund checks to property owners, saying it will help residents who are facing soaring valuations.

All told, the county is sending back $37.8 million, which translates to roughly $200 for each property owner.

Douglas County saw some of the highest property tax valuation increases in the metro region — 47% for the median residential property increase.

As long as property taxes were paid by April 30 or in two-installments by June 15, property owners should expect a refund check to arrive in the mail this month, according to county officials.

Uncashed checks after Dec. 1 will be credited toward the property's tax liability in 2025.

Douglas County commissioners in January approved an 18% mill levy decrease to provide some relief to homeowners facing steep tax increases.

The county voted to reduce the levy by 3.679 mills, which translates to $37.8 million in tax savings for property owners.

“Throughout this historic increase in property assessments, we’ve advocated at the State level for change, and tried to help our citizens understand how we got here,” Commissioner Lora Thomas earlier said. “As a priority outcome of our budget process, we are honoring our responsibility to reduce the tax burden for Douglas County’s portion of the tax bill.”

The Douglas County commissioners have been working to offer relief to soaring taxes expected from the unprecedented increases in tax valuations.

In September, commissioners approved a proposal to reduce residential property values by 4%, a plan that would have brought in over $200 per house in property tax savings. Several months later, however, the the State Board of Equalization rejected the proposal. Gov. Jared Polis questioned that state decision at the time.