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County bills may shock taxpayers By Dani Dodge People in Ashland and Central Point may want to sit down before they open their property tax bills this week. And have oxygen handy. In Ashland, the average tax increase will be 9 percent. Ashland voters passed a fire station bond and a youth activities levy this year. In Central Point, residents will see an even bigger jump. Due to passage of a Central Point School District construction bond, the average Central Point homeowner will be billed 18 percent more than last year. Outside of Central Point and Ashland, however, people will see increases averaging about 2.5 percent higher than last year. But non-Ashland/Central Point property owners may be thinking: Didn�t we vote on a countywide library bond? You did. Your 2.5 percent average increase in taxes is the result of the automatic 3 percent increase in assessed value, and the added costs of the successful library bond measure. Fortunately, though, those costs are offset by the value of new construction absorbing some of the tax burden. And while actual bills will vary wildly, the average increase countywide is $87, said Chief Appraiser Scott Fraedrick. Jackson County sent 96,082 tax bills to property owners on Tuesday. The county expects to collect $135,171,526 for the 40 taxing districts� property taxes and special assessments. That�s an increase of 11 percent over last year�s total of $121,615,492. The primary reasons for the tax increases are new construction, new money measures approved by voters and the 3 percent in assessed value. If voters approve any of the bond issues on the Nov. 7 ballot, those increases will be reflected in the 2001-2002 tax bills. Total tax bills are not as bad as they could be: The average property in Jackson County has a real market value that is 24 percent higher than the assessed value used for tax computation. How taxes have changed Here�s how property taxes are changing for homeowners in Jackson County getting tax bills this week. The first number (in parantheses) is the average bill for the owner of a $150,000 home received last fall for 1999-2000; the second number is the new bill for 2000-2001. Jacksonville: ($1,825.50)...$1,831.50 Phoenix: ($2,223) ............$2,257.50 Medford: ($2,160) ............$2,203.50 Ashland: ($2,137.50)............ $2,268 Central Point: ($2,037).....$2,332.50 Shady Cove: ($1,764)............$1,749 Talent: ($2,397)................. $2,437.60 Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.