Buffalo County Protest Process | 1340 KGFW

Buffalo County Courthouse (Brian Neben, central Nebraska today)

KEARNEY — As the Buffalo County Board of Equalization begins to prepare for protest season, we wanted to help explain the protest process and hopefully answer some questions some of you may have.

In January and February, any taxpayer whose value changed should have received a letter in the mail stating the “preliminary” value of the property.

In late May or early June, each taxpayer whose value has changed will again receive a yellow postcard that will show the property’s proposed value for 2024. Once the taxpayer receives this card, they will have until July 1 to file a protest against value if he wishes.

Before filing a claim, there are a few things to consider:

• Could you sell your house for what it is appraised for?
• Has your property been sold recently?
• Is your value similar to the recent sale price?
• Have you recently made any changes to your property?
• Any new additions or buildings?
• Have you recently improved the condition of your property, for example by carrying out major renovations or updates?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you may want to reconsider filing a protest. You will be asked these questions during the hearing.

If you believe the assessor’s value is not correct, it is up to the taxpayer to prove it with actual research. It’s not enough to say that my value is too high. The taxpayer must prove through actual research that the value is incorrect. For example, is the value comparable to those in your neighborhood?

We hope this information will help taxpayers decide whether or not to file a protest.