More than 2,700 Warren County residents who appealed their new property assessments to the county Board of Assessment Appeal now have a limited window to appeal to the Court of Common Pleas if they disagree with the board’s decision.

It’s a milestone in the reassessment process. The board’s decisions essentially end Warren County’s involvement in the process after three years of heated discussion, debate and protest. Now that the new assessments have been largely finalized with the exception of those that will be appealed in the Court of Common Pleas, the spotlight shifts to the court and to local governments.

For some, the date with the Court of Common Pleas is also looming. As we detailed in Friday’s edition, there are a host of local rules that govern how property tax assessment appeals are handled by the court. Those rules are fairly strict. Taxpayers who decide to take their assessment case to court, or their attorneys, will have their hands full for the next few months as those cases are litigated.

But those appeals affect a relatively small percentage of county residents. All of us who pay taxes in Warren County should be keeping an eye on local budgets. One of the common points of contention over the past three years has been that the reassessment will mean taxpayers will pay more because increased assessments means more money for local governments. That falsehood is still being trotted out publicly. Some people will pay more in taxes because their property is worth more than it was last year. Some will pay less because their property is worth less. Some will pay roughly the same amount because their property value didn’t change much. But local governments’ budgets are funded by the tax levy – and that amount is approved each year when local governments pass their budgets. If you’re concerned about government spending, that’s the number to pay attention to moving forward.

Lastly, let’s remember this process for a while. Property reassessments should be done every few years to avoid the pain and controversy Warren County has endured over the past three years. Let’s not make the mistake of letting property assessments go unchanged for three decades again.