The Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals voted on Sept. 26 to grant a 2024 property‑tax exemption application for a Wesleyan congregation that owns a building on West 15th Street, while making clear the owner remains responsible for unpaid prior‑year taxes that led to the parcel being placed in tax sale.
Pastor Noah, who identified himself as a bivocational pastor and university instructor, told the board he and his family bought the property in October 2023 and did not realize an exemption application needed to be filed earlier. “We are not making anything,” Pastor Noah said of the congregation’s finances, adding that the group meets weekly and is relying on personal income to renovate the building.
Staff and board members reviewed the tax history and explained that, under county practice, a property owner generally must hold title on Jan. 1 of a tax year to be eligible for that year’s exemption. Because the pastor’s purchase occurred after Jan. 1, 2023, staff said the board could consider only the 2024 exemption application that was before it.
Board member Brian Barton moved to grant the 2024 exemption application. The motion was seconded and approved on a voice vote.
Staff told the pastor that approving the 2024 exemption will not eliminate taxes already due for 2023; staff estimated that the owner still owed roughly $2,000–$3,000 for the 2023 tax bill with penalties, but advised the owner to obtain the auditor/treasurer’s exact payoff amount. Staff also advised the owner to contact the closing/title company to confirm whether any closing credits had been provided at purchase to cover a future tax bill.
The board’s action relieves the parcel of the 2024 tax obligation covered by the application but does not resolve the outstanding 2023 liability or the tax‑sale status; staff said the auditor/treasurer can supply exact figures and payoff instructions.