ASSESSOR DELIVERS $202.6 BILLION ASSESSMENT ROLL

Alameda County Assessor Ron Thomsen has timely delivered the 2009-10 gross local assessment roll of $202.6 billion, reflecting a $4.6 billion decrease, 2.24 percent below last year's assessment roll. The net local roll, after all legal exemptions have been applied, totals $195.3 billion.

"The continuing decline in value of single-family residential properties is the largest contributor to the decrease," according to Assessor Thomsen. He added, "The 2009-10 assessment roll accurately reflects assessments of more than 490,000 taxable properties including the 98,668 properties that were provided reduced assessments due to market value declines." Those reductions in assessed value, independently recognized by the diligent work of the Assessor's appraisal staff, totaled $14.5 billion. While there were annual assessment activities leading to positive roll growth this year, they were more than offset by the effect of the declining residential real estate market.

The City of Oakland remained the highest assessment jurisdiction in Alameda County with a total assessed value of $42.5 billion before exemptions are applied. The City of Fremont continues to have the second highest assessed value of $34.7 billion. This year, the City of Piedmont received the highest overall percentage increase of 2.9 percent over last year's totals.

The property taxes derived from the assessment roll produce revenue to support the services provided by Alameda County, its public schools, cities, redevelopment areas and special districts. The largest percentage of each property tax dollar supports our public schools.

Notifications of this year's individual assessments are being mailed to all Alameda County property owners starting on July 24, 2009. If property owners have questions regarding their property assessment, they are encouraged to call the Assessor's Office at (510) 272-3787 (real estate assessments) or (510) 272-3836 (business personal property assessments). As indicated on these notifications, formal appeals of the 2009-10 assessed values must be made between July 2 and September 15, 2009 with the Clerk, Board of Supervisors, Assessment Appeals Unit, on their Application for Changed Assessment. For your convenience, the application and instruction booklet can be viewed and printed from their webpage at http://www.acgov.org/clerk/assessment.htm.