Larimer County assessor highlights modeling, paperless scanning and disaster response in 2024 report
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Summary
The county assessor presented a new residential modeling report, described reduced office footprint after a large document‑scanning effort, and outlined how the office handled wildfire damage assessments and upcoming notice‑of‑determination timing changes.
The Larimer County Assessor briefed the Board of County Commissioners on July 7 about staffing ratios, a new residential modeling report, document‑scanning efforts and the office’s disaster response work. "We're literally almost a paperless office," the assessor said, noting that scanning returned roughly 10,000 square feet of county office space to the central inventory.
The assessor reported the office handled more than 350,000 customer inquiries in 2024 when combining website visits (about 302,000), inbound calls (about 11,000) and walk‑in visits (about 5,100). The office processed roughly 17,000 property transfers in 2024. Appraisal staffing stood at about 19 appraisers, serving roughly 170,000 parcels — a ratio the assessor described as near 8,000–9,000 parcels per appraiser after recently hiring limited‑term employees for catch‑up work.
The assessor said the office published its first residential model report on May 1 to increase transparency about valuation models and that the office continues to be audited annually; the 2024 coefficient of dispersion was 6.4% (state maximum for the measure is 15.99%). The assessor said the office is preparing for a split assessment rate change affecting schools (7.05% for school was mentioned) and that the timing of notice of determinations shifted: notices will be mailed on August 15 under the state change.
On disasters, the assessor described the office’s response to the Alexander fire: appraisers performed site inspections, worked with emergency operations to notify affected property owners, and adjusted values for destroyed properties. The assessor explained that the office uses federal burn‑scar mapping to identify affected parcels and that value adjustments for destroyed properties can include a tax credit or removal from the tax roll until rebuilding occurs.
Why it matters: assessment models, appeals and disaster adjustments affect property tax bills for thousands of residents. Publishing the modeling report and moving toward paperless records are intended to improve transparency and operational efficiency.
Details: the assessor said the modeling team is two people and continues refining methods; protests and appeals stayed near about 7% of notice recipients in the most recent cycle. The assessor said the office plans to report catch‑up work on new construction and permit tracking in a future presentation.