Equalization / Property Description & Mapping
Michael R. Galligan, Director
James J. Bush, Deputy Director
Fillmore Street Complex
12220 Fillmore, Room 349
West Olive, MI 49460
Equalization
Phone: (616) 738-4826 or toll free (888) 731-1001 ext. 4826
Fax: (616) 738-4009
Email: equalization@co.ottawa.mi.us
Property Description and Mapping
Phone: (616) 738-4818 or toll free (888) 731-1001 ext. 4818
Fax: (616) 738-4060
Office Hours - 8:00am to 5:00pm
Purpose
(As set forth in the general property tax act)
211.34 (1) M.C.L. The county board of commissioners in each county shall meet in April each year to determine county equalized value which equalization shall be completed and submitted ... to the state tax commission before the first Monday in May.
211.34 (2) M.C.L. The county board of commissioners shall examine the assessment rolls of the townships or cities and ascertain whether the real and personal property in the respective townships or cities has been equally and uniformly assessed at true cash value. If, on the examination, the county board of commissioners considers the assessments to be relatively unequal, it shall equalize the assessments by adding to or deducting from the valuation of the taxable property in a township or city an amount which in the judgment of the county board of commissioners will produce a sum which represents the true cash value of that property, and the amount added to or deducted from the valuations in a township or city shall be entered upon the records. The county board of commissioners and the state tax commission shall equalize real and personal property separately by adding to or deducting from the valuation of taxable real property, and by adding to or deducting from the valuation of taxable personal property in a township, city, or county, an amount which will produce a sum which represents the proportion of true cash value established by the legislature. (50%)
211.34 (3) M.C.L. The county board of commissioners of a county shall establish and maintain a department to survey assessments and assist the board of commissioners in the matter of equalization of assessments, and may employ in that department technical and clerical personnel which in its judgment are considered necessary. The personnel of the department shall be under the direct supervision and control of a director of the tax or equalization department who may designate an employee of the department as his or her deputy. The director of the county tax or equalization department shall be appointed by the county board of commissioners. The county board of commissioners, through the department, may furnish assistance to local assessing officers in the performance of duties imposed upon those officers by this act, including the development and maintenance of accurate property descriptions, the discovery, listing, and valuation of properties for tax purposes, and the development and use of uniform valuation standards and techniques for the assessment of property.
Available Information and Services
Property assessment and property tax related information about parcels located in Ottawa County. (Individual property record cards are maintained by the local units)
The above information is available for inspection in the Equalization Department at 12220 Fillmore, Room 349, West Olive MI. Please call Property Description and Mapping at (616) 738-4818 for prices and further details.
1979 aerial photos are available from Nederveld and Associates in Hudsonville.
Contact our GIS Department for current maps, aerials, and custom maps.
Older aerial photos flown in 1994, 1989, 1984 & 1973 are available from GIS.
Ottawa County Plat Books are also available through GIS.
Requests for parcel information may be faxed to (616) 738-4060. The charge is $1.00 per parcel for faxed information. Information is available at no charge by using the Real Property Search on this website.
