Clark County Landowner Tells Board His Tax Bills Rose $6,556

Clark County Board | July 17, 2026

Article Summary: A Clark County property owner told the County Board on Friday, July 17, 2026, that his real estate tax bills increased by $6,556, prompting an explanation from the county assessor about a forestry program, unfarmed acreage and last year’s reassessment of Johnson Township. No board action was taken.

Property Tax Assessment Key Points:

Durward Gross told the board his real estate tax bills increased by $6,556 and said that for 60 acres the real estate taxes are $3,808.

Assessor Lisa Richey said the land had previously been in a forestry program and that she is looking into whether it remains in a program.

Richey said the house sits with 80 acres that is not farmed and, per the state, is assessed at a higher rate.

Johnson Township was reassessed last year, according to the minutes. Richey said lowering assessed values across the board would prompt the state to apply a multiplier.

CLARK COUNTY — A county landowner asked the Clark County Board for help with a property tax bill he said rose by thousands of dollars, during public comment at the board’s regular meeting Friday, July 17, 2026, at the courthouse in Marshall.

Durward Gross, listed in the minutes’ attendance roster as a concerned resident, was the first speaker of the morning. He brought to the board’s attention that his real estate tax bills increased by $6,556, according to the minutes, and stated that for 60 acres the real estate taxes are $3,808.

Asked why his taxes had more than doubled, Assessor Lisa Richey explained that the land was previously in a forestry program. Richey is looking into whether the land is in a program, the minutes record, and said that would help the situation.

The second issue Richey identified was the acreage around the residence. His house is with 80 acres that is not farmed, she said, and per the state it is assessed at a higher rate.

Johnson Township Reassessment

The minutes note that Johnson Township was reassessed last year. They do not say how many parcels were affected, what the township-wide change in assessed value was, or what tax year Gross’s bills cover.

Gross asked for help with his situation and with others who are in the same position, according to the minutes. The record does not say how many other property owners have raised similar complaints.

Richey explained that she could lower the assessed value for everything, but that the state would then add a multiplier to raise the taxes due.

No Action Taken

The exchange came under public comments, agenda item 5, and the minutes record no motion, no referral to a committee and no direction to staff arising from it. Public comment is not an action item on the Clark County Board’s standing agenda.

Separately and later in the meeting, the board voted unanimously to accept all office reports for June 2026, a group the July agenda lists as including the supervisor of assessments. Those reports were referenced as attachments but not included with the minutes.

The minutes offer no further detail on several points a reader would reasonably want. They do not name the forestry program at issue, do not identify the statutory provision under which unfarmed acreage is assessed differently, and do not explain the multiplier Richey described. Nor do they reconcile the two figures Gross gave the board — a $6,556 increase, and $3,808 in real estate taxes on 60 acres — or indicate whether those numbers describe the same parcel or the same year.

The second public speaker was Jennifer Bishop of Clark County Extension, who introduced herself in connection with her new role in 4-H youth and community development.

The board’s next regular meeting is Aug. 21, 2026, at 8 a.m.