Your Huerfano County tax bill: assessor figures it, treasurer collects it

A Huerfano County property tax bill comes from a few moving parts, and two different offices handle them. It helps to know which is which.

First, the county assessor estimates what your property is worth — its actual value. A state assessment rate is applied to that value to get the assessed value the tax is figured on. Then the mill levies of every taxing district that covers your parcel are added together. That can include the county, a school district, a town if you are inside one, and special districts such as fire or water. Multiply the assessed value by the combined levy and you have the tax. The county treasurer is the office that sends the bill and collects the payment.

This is why two homes with similar prices can owe different amounts: they sit under different combinations of districts. It is also why the assessor is the office to talk to about a value you think is wrong, while the treasurer is who you pay.

For current values, rates, and levies — which change and are not worth guessing — use the Colorado Division of Property Taxation and the Huerfano County assessor and treasurer.