Bordering the Mohave Desert in northwestern Arizona, Mohave County has its share of property assessment challenges. Just 14.3 percent of the land is privately owned in a patchwork pattern amid sprawling national parks, reservations and state lands. To canvass property in northern Mohave in person, an assessment team member must actually leave the state and drive through Nevada and Utah to get there.
Like everyone, Assessors have budgets and must manage the costs of their work. Making ground visits to assess the more than 250,000 parcels of privately-owned land and structures peppered across Mohave would take an army of people. For those setting out to canvass from the south side of the Grand Canyon, the many hours driving and travel costs add up. Beyond those difficulties, Mohave has a number of riverfront properties where homeowners have focused their improvements on the water side of the house – difficult for assessors to access without boats. Finally, while the permitting process adds insights into property changes, those records are frequently incomplete. The assessment team knew properties were “escaping” the tax rolls.