Sonoma County homeowners warned that property taxes may increase

You can still protest the County's assessment!

Sonoma County residents who saw their home plunge in value now may face what a top county official calls a “mixed blessing” — the return of higher property values, which can lead to bigger tax bills.

About half of the county’s homeowners might see their property taxes rise this fall by more than the 2 percent annual limit set by Proposition 13, Sonoma County Assessor Bill Rousseau warned Monday.

Those owners previously saw their property tax bills drop when home values fell sharply after the housing bubble burst in late 2007.

Now, home prices are rising again, and the Assessor’s Office plans to post new values for each property in the county in August. At that point, it will report how much a homeowner’s property tax bill will change. But Rousseau already is warning homeowners to brace for higher taxes when the county sends out tax bills in October.

“We want to see people get prepared for that,” he said.

(Full story at The Press Democrat)

Forestville: The ‘hands-on’ town

(From the Press Democrat)

The town of Forestville has about 3,200 residents, according to the newest census, and it isn’t even incorporated. But size and officialdom has never stopped the “hands on” community from getting things done.

In the past, residents have created a fire district, a water and sewage district, and even a youth park where the local kids can play baseball and such.

Now Forestville has taken on another a big challenge, to create an official village green in the heart of downtown, and there’s  deadline involved.

(Read more at the Press Democrat)

Sonoma County Foreclosures Fall to Lowest Level In Six Years

Sonoma County foreclosures have dropped to their lowest level in six years, a decrease attributed partly to a new state law regulating the practice.

One hundred fifty-four homeowners lost houses and condominiums to foreclosure in the first quarter of the year, according to San Diego information service DataQuick.

That was a decrease of 42.8 percent from the previous quarter and the lowest for any such period since 94 homes were lost in foreclosure auctions in the first quarter of 2007.

(Full story at: Press Democrat)

$24.5 million deal to save Preservation Ranch

A national conservation group has reached an agreement to buy nearly 20,000 acres of timberland in northwestern Sonoma County, a move that derails the long-disputed, forest-to-vineyards conversion project pushed by CalPERS, the giant state workers pension fund.

The $24.5 million purchase of the so-called Preservation Ranch, to be completed by the end of May, is led by The Conservation Fund, based in Virginia. It would contribute up to $6 million toward the purchase.

Full story at The Press Democrat

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors OKs money for new Monte Rio park

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a $389,000 grant of county open space funds for development of a small park in Monte Rio.

See full story at The Press Democrat

Federal officials expand national marine sanctuaries on Sonoma, Mendocino coasts

Federal officials Thursday announced plans to more than double the size of two marine sanctuaries in a move that would permanently protect the entire Sonoma County coast and the southern third of Mendocino County's coast from oil and gas drilling and other environmental impacts.

(Full story at the Press Democrat)

Healdsburg's Fitch Mountain summit to become park

The top of Fitch Mountain, the scenic backdrop to Healdsburg, is set to be purchased for use as a park, capping a decade-long effort to preserve it for public access.

The city and the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District have struck a tentative agreement to buy and manage 199 acres of the mountaintop for recreation uses such as hiking and biking.

(Full story at Press Democrat)