Assessor

_____________________________________________________________________________________

article_____________________________________________________________________________________

Franklin County Assessor News

*2025 Value Change Notices Mailed 8/29/2025*



The following is an image of this year's value change notice mailed to the property owners throughout Franklin County. 

Property Value Notice Flyer FINAL DRAFT - Ashley for COV_1

The Assessor’s Office is required by law to value property at 100% of its market value as of January 1st.  As the price of real estate increases or decreases, the assessed value increases or decreases accordingly. Market sales help to determine that value.

The new January 1st, 2025, assessed values, as well as sales and stats that were used to establish assessments, are now available on the Assessor’s website at:

The Assessor’s Office recommends that property owners who have questions or concerns about their new assessed values call our office to talk to an appraiser before filing an appeal with the Board of Equalization, as many concerns or issues can be resolved through a one-on-one conversation.

  • Franklin County Assessor’s Office 509-545-3506

Petitions or appeals to the Board of Equalization must be filed with the Board within 30 days of when the notice is mailed or July 1st, whichever is later. The appeal process does not require that you hire an attorney, but you will need to present evidence that the Assessor’s value is incorrect. Appeal forms and instructions are available on the Board of Equalization's website:

There are some programs available for tax relief. For more information about these programs, please visit our website.


Welcome to the Franklin County Assessor's Office

Our goal in the Franklin County Assessor's Office is to provide you with exceptional service in a caring, courteous and respectful manner, in accordance with our Core Values. The Assessor's website is designed with the goal in mind to serve your needs and answer as many of your questions as we can anticipate.

The Assessor's Office does not establish the dollar amount of taxes required nor do we bill or collect taxes. Taxpayers, State limitations and each district's assessed value determines the tax rate for each district. The County Treasurer bills and collects the required tax.

It is the responsibility of the Assessor's Office to ensure that all property owners are treated fairly and impartially in accordance with our state laws. It is the goal of the Assessor's Office to provide superior service to our community and residents to continually demonstrate fairness, honesty, and integrity in everything we do.


CORE VALUES

FAIR – Ethics of absolute fairness, honesty, and integrity, guide everything we do. Our actions match our words. We balance the expectations, and earn the trust of our community, its residents and fellow employees.

CARING – We ensure that every human interaction is caring, courteous, and respectful. We expect our employees’ decisions and interactions be carried out in a way that allows all involved to maintain dignity. We speak candidly and listen openly. We value and respect diversity of background, thought, and style. We know everyone in our workplace and community can potentially contribute diverse ideas, and we actively pursue such knowledge.

HUMAN – We are positive, energetic, and committed to achieving our objectives and living our values. We celebrate our successes and learn from our failures. We keep our egos in check and maintain a sense of humor. We believe in the power of talented, committed individuals – working as a T.E.A.M – to make an extraordinary difference.

DYNAMIC – We are never satisfied with the status quo and know that we must continually reinvent our team and ourselves. We break down silos and bureaucracies in order to serve our community and residents efficiently. We continuously drive operational excellence to innovate our processes and services.

DRIVEN – We are committed to excellence and the achievement of superior long-term service to our community and residents. We set high, measurable goals and hold ourselves accountable to achieve them. We benchmark from our community and residents’ viewpoints, while yet adhering to all applicable laws. We look both within and outside our industry to learn.

Mission Statement

The Franklin County Assessor's Office and staff have a primary responsibility to maintain the property assessment system in a way that is equitable, fair, and uniform to all citizens of Franklin County and meets all constitutional and statutory requirements.

Our Mission is to perform those duties to the highest ethical standards of fairness, honesty, and integrity, ensuring that every interaction is caring, courteous, respectful, and dignified.

We are committed to excellence and the achievement of superior long-term service to our community and residents.

website graphic 2023

The Franklin County Assessor's Office will mail Real Property Change of Value Notices in the third quarter of each year. Tax statements will be mailed by the Treasurer's Office in February of each year.

RCW 84.40.020 requires all real property to be valued as of January 1st of each year for taxes payable the following year. The value notice you receive in the summer will be based on the previous year's market data, which may or may not indicate an impact from prior years' economic conditions. If you want more information, please contact us.

Understanding property tax (video 3:30)(opens in a new window)

Property tax is the oldest tax levied in the state of Washington, and it’s also one of the more difficult to understand. Property taxes are essential for funding local services such as fire protection, libraries, parks and recreation, and public schools. Watch the Department of Revenue's Understanding Property Tax video (opens in a new window) and learn the basics of property tax.