An attempt by Porter
Regional Hospital to reduce the first assessed value of its new building at
Ind. 49 and U.S. 6 may wind up costing them more.
After the hospital
failed Tuesday in a last-minute attempt to withdraw the appeal, Porter County
Assessor Jon Snyder argued the 2012 assessment in question should be increased
from $34 million to $117 million.
His request and a second
appeal of the former hospital building in Valparaiso were taken under
consideration by the Porter County Property Tax Assessment Board of
Appeals.
Snyder said the state
model, which calls for assessing hospitals as general office space, failed
taxpayers by under valuing the new property in Liberty Township when it was 90
percent complete and yet unopened.
He presented members
of the PTABOA with various news articles, including a couple quoting
Porter Hospital Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Nalli that place the value of
the new site at $210 million and $225 million.
Nalli also signed off
on a value of $130 million for the new site, according to documents submitted
that relate to the 10-year tax abatement granted to the new hospital by the
Porter County Council.
The proposed increase
was immediately opposed by Donald Feicht Jr., vice president of taxes at Uzelac
& Associates, who accused Snyder of singling out the hospital and
improperly varying from state assessing guidelines using nothing more than
hearsay.
...
Also Tuesday, the
hospital appealed the $22.3 million assessment in 2012 of the former hospital
building at 814 LaPorte Ave. in Valparaiso, which has since been torn down.
