About 45% of the more than 7,800 Polk County property owners who protested their property assessments were successful in getting the values changed, data from the county assessor’s office shows.

In addition, 41% of the protested assessments were upheld, meaning the property owner was unsuccessful in changing the property’s valued, data shows. 

The remaining 1,073 protests that were filed are in the process of being reviewed. Randy Ripperger, the Polk County assessor, expects the reviews to be completed by mid-July.

Overall, 7,874 property owners protested the values the assessor’s office determined property was worth. Ripperger had expected the number of protests to reach at least 9,000.

“We raised the values more this year than we did two years ago,” he said. In 2017, 8,797 property owners filed protests and 51% of assessments were upheld.

On average, residential property values jumped 10% in 2019, assessor’s data shows. The value of commercial property increased 6.8% and multifamily residential, 20.7%.

Assessments are based on the sales price of a property, appraisals and improvements. Assessments, which determine a property owner’s tax bill, are conducted in odd-numbered years.