Prince George, B.C. - With most homeowners in Prince George seeing significant increases in their assessments, there should be no surprise that there is an increase in the number of appeals that have been filed.

The deadline for filing an appeal was the end of January, and while not all appeals have been entered into the data base yet, Regional Assessor Gerhardt Brosch says there seems to be an increase. “I think we are seeing an increase of 20%-23% in volume. Last year we had 735 appeals, and so far about 950 have been entered into the data base”says Brosch.

The appeals will start being heard tomorrow at the Civic Centre. Residents who have filed an appeal have likely already gone through the process of discussions with an appraiser and if that didn't resolve the issues,  they now will have an opportunity to state their case before the appeals panel.

“Usually the decision is made at the specific hearing if the assessment should be changed” says Brosch.

The assessment forms the base for municipal taxation, with property owners charged a rate per thousand dollars of assessment.

Brosch says most people understand the values have gone up because of increased prices in sales for comparable homes “Most people have a pretty good idea on what their house is worth. If there has been an error, we will recommend a change.“

In Prince George, the assessed values of residential homes have increased by 20-40%.\

Overall, the assessment roll in Prince George increased from $5.51 billion last year to $6.98 billion this year. While that increase is a reflection of increased market values, it also reflects new construction, rezoning and subdivisions.