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WALKER-Cass County's total assessed value has trended upward in the last year, but only by 0.53 percent, Assessor Mark Peterson informed the county board Tuesday.

The county's total 2016 value is $6,179,527,800. That includes $51,806,500 in new construction. This year's values will be used to calculate 2017 property taxes. If the county did not increase its levy rate in 2017, the higher values and new construction would generate $265,000 more revenue than the 2016 values did, Administrator Robert Yochum reported.

Cass' taxable value declines some each time more property goes into trust with the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the benefit of Leech Lake Band.

The county board Tuesday received notice of a new request to place another 20.25 acres in Turtle Lake Township in trust for the band for use as housing property. Assessed value on that property is $1,576,400, according to the application letter to the BIA.

The number of arms-length property sales, which are so-called as they do not include sales to a family member for instance, continued a gradual upward trend with 115 sold through March 2016 or eight more than 2015, Peterson said.

Foreclosures leveled off at about a dozen the first quarter last year and this year. Four were homesteaded properties. Five were seasonal recreational or non-homestead properties. One was industrial.

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