Property taxes coming due

Property owners have until mid-November to get a 3% discount on their property tax payments for 2025-26, according to the Yamhill County Department of Assessment and Taxation.

The office mailed out more than 48,000 property tax statements for residential and commercial property on Oct. 15. Yellow statements mean that a copy of the bill also is being sent to a mortgage company; green statements indicate that the property owner is paying the bill.

Taxpayers can pay by Nov. 15 for the 3% discount; pay two-thirds of the total by Nov. 15 for a 2% discount; or pay the full amount in three installments with the first one-third due by Nov. 19, the second by Feb. 15 and the third by May 15.

Payments can be made in person at the assessor’s office at 400 N.E. Baker St., by phone at 1-877-273-4878, or online by credit card, debit card or bank account; a fee applies for some types of payment. For payment options, go to the website, www.yamhillcounty.gov/assessor.

Assessment and Taxation office staff members are available to answer questions in person or by phone at 503-435-7521. They can explain topics such as how property tax bills are determined, why is the certain amount being charged, what the taxes pay for and what the options are for an account review or property appeal.

In Oregon, property taxes pay for local services. According to Assessor Derrick Wharff, in Yamhill County this year, the average property tax dollar breaks down in the following manner:

-- 47.80 cents for education, including local K-12 districts, Chemeketa Community College or Portland Community College, Willamette Education Service District or the Northwest Regional Education Service District.

-- 17.04 cents for county government services, with money going toward public safety, road improvements, libraries, elections, public health and other programs.

-- 34.26 cents for neighborhood services provided by cities and special districts, such as police, fire protection, parks and libraries, and urban renewal projects.

-- Nine-tenths of a cent (.09) for miscellaneous services, such as economic improvement districts or rural sewer.

The amount each taxpayer owes depends on where the property is located. Residents of the McMinnville School District would pay for a school construction bond in the district, for instance. Residents of Dayton would pay for a levy for law enforcement services in that city, etc.

Yamhill County has 42 local taxing districts and four special assessment charges, with 76 separate tax code areas, the assessor said. Dayton added an urban renewal district this year, bringing the total number in the county to six.

The assessor said this year’s property tax statements account for a total of more than $192 million, an increase of nearly 6% or about $11 million compared to last year.

Wharff said the increase in taxes is due to several factors, including the 3% annual increase in assessed value on most properties, additional value from new construction activity, and new or increased taxing district levies.

Property owners who do not receive a tax statement by Nov. 1 should call the Assessment and Tax Office at 503-434-7521.