Los Alamos County Property Value Notices Arriving April 1, Assessor Says

Los Alamos County Assessor George Chandler began mailing 2026 Notices of Property Value to county property owners today, starting a 30-day clock that expires April 30 for any owner who wants to challenge a valuation or correct a clerical error.

New Mexico law requires county assessors to send the notices on or before April 1 each year. The NOV is not a tax bill; it is the document that sets the foundation for one. Each notice lists a parcel's ownership, legal description, applied exemptions, and assessed value calculated using 2025 market activity, with January 1, 2026, as the fixed taxable status date. What ends up on those lines determines what the county treasurer bills later in the year.

The math connecting assessed value to taxes is straightforward but easy to underestimate. Under New Mexico law, only one-third of a property's assessed value is subject to taxation. On a home assessed at $300,000, a figure close to the county median, the taxable base is $100,000 and the annual bill runs roughly $2,400. A $30,000 upward swing in assessed value adds $10,000 to that taxable base and approximately $240 to the annual bill, money that compounds year over year if a high valuation goes unchallenged.

The first step this week is to log into EagleWeb, the Assessor's Office online property records portal, and verify that ownership, legal description, and any exemptions are correctly listed. Owners who qualify for credits tied to age 65 or older, disability, low income, or military veteran status should confirm those exemptions appear on the notice. An exemption that has been dropped in error can shift a tax bill by hundreds of dollars.

If the valuation looks off, the Assessor's Office at (505) 662-8030, or in person at the Municipal Building, is the right first call. Chandler's staff can fix clerical errors and may be able to resolve valuation concerns informally, bypassing the formal protest process altogether. For owners who need to go further, a written petition to the county assessor is due no later than April 30. Missing that deadline forfeits the right to challenge the current year's assessment. Any unresolved dispute after the petition stage moves to the First District Court in Santa Fe, a process owners must navigate without Assessor's Office assistance.

The e-Notices program through the Assessor's Office lets owners receive future notices electronically rather than by mail. Assessment history, tax data, and parcel details remain accessible through EagleWeb year-round.