Letter to the editor: Property taxes and school levy -- frustrating and ironic at the same time

I just lost my appeal to lower property taxes on a property we took possession of in 2023. On the same day, I received the Centralia School District’s request for more money.

This derelict manufactured home has been abused for nearly 50 years. It is literally falling down. The county had valued the “improvements” (the house and other structures) at $54,000 in 2020; $65,000 in 2021; $75,400 in 2022; and $207,700 in 2023. That is a 175% increase in one year. The land value went up 140% as well.

The county appraiser responded: “There are over 60,000 tax parcels in Lewis County. We perform an on-site visit every six years to 10,000 parcels and adjust our valuations. Are you aware of how much property values have gone up?”

I argued that nothing has been done to this property in all of these years.

My arguments and pictures landed on deaf ears. The appraiser would not lower his valuation.

One the same day, I received the Centralia School District’s promo package touting why they need more and more money. Taxpayers have told them “enough is enough” already, but they keep trying.

Ironically, the school district says it needs more money because of inflation. They should love inflation. Inflation is what drove my property taxes up 175%. If my property taxes went up 175%, I can only assume the other 10,000 parcels taxes went up by a similar amount. Each year, the county performs an on-site visit to another 10,000 parcels, so those properties will receive higher tax bill, etc.

I say no to another tax levy. The Centralia School District needs to take lessons from Chehalis.

Dale Luger

Centralia