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Assessor

The Ringgold County Assessor's Office is located on the ground floor of the Courthouse on the square in
Mount Ayr, Iowa. Office hours 8:00am thru 4:00pm Monday through Friday.

Melinda










Assessor Melinda England
Deputy Assessor Vera Hunt
Assessor Clerk Robbie Mason


General Information About the Assessor

The assessor is appointed, not elected. The Board of Supervisors, mayors of all incorporated cities, and a member from each school district within the jurisdiction comprise the Conference Board. The Conference Board appoints a qualified applicant to the assessor position for a period of six years.

Assessor Duties

The primary duty and responsibility of the assessor is to measure, list and value all real property within his/her jurisdiction except that which is otherwise provided for by law. The assessor's responsibilities fall under the direction of the Iowa Department of Revenue. The statutory date of assessment is January 1st. The assessor determines a full or partial value of new construction, or improvements depending upon the state of completion as of January 1st.

Assessed Values, Rollbacks, and Levy Rates

Each year, a levy rate is determined by the levy authorities in our county to meet the funding obligations for the current fiscal year. These funds meet the budget requirements that pay for our schools, county hospital, community college, police and fire protection, road maintenance and other services. The levy rate is applied to each $1,000 of taxable value of a property.

All four classes of property have a rollback applied which reduces the taxable value. The taxable value is determined by the auditor after applying the state ordered “rollback” percentages to the assessed value. Any applicable exemption and/or credit is then deducted. The amount of taxes property owners pay is then determined by multiplying the levy rate by the taxable value.

Petitioning to Change my Assessment

Each year any property owner who is dissatisfied with their assessment may protest against that assessment with the Board of Review between April 2 and April 30. For current petition forms and instructions please contact the assessor's office after April 2 at 641-464-3233.

Board of Review Petition Form

What is the Board of Review?

The Board of Review members are appointed by the Conference Board and may have three or five members. As per state statute, one member must be a farmer, one a licensed realtor and one who has knowledge in the building or construction field. This is an independent board to which property owner(s) may appeal if they feel their assessment is excessive or inequitable.

The Board of Review has broad powers including the right to increase or decrease any assessment. If a property owner is not satisfied with the board’s decision, they can file an appeal with the Property Assessment Appeal Board or District Court.

Building Requirements

Currently, there are no zoning or building permit requirements on rural property.  However, there are septic requirements. These can be viewed by clicking here.  For further information on septic requirements, please contact Ringgold County Public Health at 641-464-0691.

The County has implemented Solar and Wind ordinances as of July 2023.  Details can be found here. 

IMPORTANT DATES

JAN 01 -- Assessments reflect value of property on this date.
FEB 01 -- Last day to file city abatements and exemption applications.
APR 1 -- Assessment Rolls mailed to notify owners of value changes.
APRIL 30 -- Last day to turn in protest forms.
JUL 01 -- Last day to sign up for Homestead and Military Exemptions.
NOV 01 -- Last day to sign up for Family Farm Credit.

Pay 1st half of taxes by September 30th and 2nd half by March 31st to avoid a late penalty.

To request more information:
Contact the Assessor's Office
Mon-Fri 8am - 4pm
641-464-3233

Assessor:  mengland@ringgoldcounty.us
Deputy Assessor:  vhunt@ringgoldcounty.us
Assessor Clerk: rmason@ringgoldcounty.us