Benton County Assessor’s office involved in post-tornado property values

Hundreds of land parcels in Rogers and other parts of Benton County saw property value change immediately on May 26 when early morning storms and tornadoes uprooted lives like they uprooted so many trees. Winds of change, indeed.

Working to best document the change value is part of Cassil Chaney’s job. She’s the appraisal manager in the office of Benton County Assessor Roderick Grieve.

Property tax bills to be paid this year won’t reflect property damage for all classes of property owners, but the 2025 assessment and billing cycle will, she said. The office, using a map of tornado damage tied to parcel numbers, has notified property owners about the process to review and document damage. Assessors also are on the ground to identify property damage.

In a region with a booming economy that already makes property values dynamic, Chaney said value assessment is difficult. The reassessment work will primarily follow Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rules, which sets damage levels at 100%, 75%, 50% and 25%, based on agency standards. Chaney said using FEMA protocols helps reach consistent and fair determinations.

The county has added a 10% category to capture lost value for less significant damage, such as missing siding, a damaged outbuilding or roof damage. There also will be follow-up physical inspections in 2025.

“Our appraisers will go back out (in 2025) to see what has been rebuilt, if anything. Some people are going to rebuild; some will not,” Chaney said. “What we see is that residential often rebuilds, but commercial doesn’t always rebuild. They may just clear the property and sell it.”

Chaney said the office’s interaction with property owners has been positive during what can be a stressful time.

“No, we’ve not had any angry taxpayers. I think they are just really happy to see some progress and see some relief.”