Kingfisher County’s net property valuation for 2020 increased 5.5% over last year, with increases in every county school district except Hennessey, according to a report certified last Wednesday by County Assessor Carolyn Mulherin.

Assessor’s valuations – the basis used for county property tax assessments for 2021 – increased in every category, including personal, real and public service property.

Personal property, which also includes commercial and industrial equipment and fixtures in place in the county since Jan. 1, increased from $307,619,392 to $319,953,320.

Real property valuation increased from $115,604,100 to $121,321,331.

Public service property valuation, which includes utilities and railroads and are set by the Oklahoma Tax Commission, increased from $53,047,172 to $60,901,223.

This year’s report shows an increase in total valuation to $502,175,874 from $476,270,560, a decrease in homestead exemptions to $2,660,658 from $3,256,134, and an increase in net valuations to $498,913,542 from $473,014,430.

Personal property valuations for 2020 already have sparked two industry lawsuits.

DCP Operating Company LP, which recently settled several years’ worth of ad valorem tax challenges with the county, filed a new petition July 10 alleging the county’s $91,249,984 assessment of the fair cash value of its natural gas gathering lines and equipment is overstated by $70,386,181.

ETC Texas Pipeline Ltd. filed a similar lawsuit July 7 regarding the assessment of the value of its gas gathering lines located in the county. The lawsuit alleges the county’s assessment of $7,706,134 is overstated by $6,344,108.

While those lawsuits are pending, both entities will be required to pay the entire amount of tax assessed based on those challenged valuations, but the amount in protest will be held in a separate escrow account until the lawsuits are decided.

A majority (nearly 84 percent) of ad valorem tax goes to support schools located in Kingfisher County, as well as Chisholm Trail Technology Center and schools whose districts extend into the county (Crescent, Okeene, Cimarron, Piedmont, Drummond and Marshall-Covington).

The remaining property tax collected goes to the county general fund (13.8%) and county health department (2.8%).

Five of the county’s six school districts showed increases in valuations this year. Only Hennessey’s valuation dropped.