Public Notice of Possible Delay in Mailing 2025 Notices of Value
GEORGE CHANDLER, LOS ALAMOS COUNTY ASSESSOR
New Mexico statutes require Assessor’s Offices to mail a Notice of Value (NOV) to every property owner no later than the first day of April. The Property Tax Director of the Department of Finance Administration has supervisory authority over Assessors and can authorize changes in the mailing deadline for good reason, and for Los Alamos and many other counties, at our request, he has authorized up to a 30 day delay for 2025 only.
The reason for the delay is that legislation is impending in the state legislature that potentially impacts the valuations of many properties. Two constitutional amendments passed last year:
One amendment provides for an increase in the Veteran’s exemption from $4,000 to $10,000, applied to the taxable value of the veteran’s eligible residential property. If there is an existing exemption it will be increased automatically with no need for any action on the owner’s part. If you are a veteran who has not claimed the exemption you may do so by filing a certificate of eligibility, available from the State Department of Veteran’s Affairs, with the Assessor’s office (Municipal Building, 9th and Central, room 201). Visit or call (505 662-8030) our office for details of the process for applying for the certificate. The new value will be applied to the 2025 tax bill and has a cost-of-living escalator for subsequent years.
The other amendment extends the eligibility for the Disabled Veteran exemption to partially disabled Veterans, in an amount proportional to the percentage of disability. That bill will become effective for the 2026 tax year. Once the bill is passed and the details of the process become known eligible veterans can bring proof of their eligibility to our office. The amount exempted is the percent disability times the taxable value of the property. We will publish a further notice as soon as these details become available.
If you have questions please call or visit our office, or trap the Assessor on the street.
Responsibility
The primary responsibility of the assessor is to determine and maintain the current and correct fair market value of your property, ensuring that you pay only your fair share of taxes. The amount of taxes you pay is determined by a tax rate applied to your property's assessed value, which is set by all taxing agencies and varies based on the services required.
In addition to this, the Assessor's Office keeps track of ownership changes, maintains maps of parcel boundaries, updates descriptions of building and property characteristics, and tracks individuals and properties eligible for exemptions and other property tax relief. The Assessor's Office also analyzes trends in sales prices, construction costs, and rents to estimate the value of all assessable property.
The Assessor's Office is subject to review by the Property Tax Division of New Mexico, which is responsible for the general supervision of Assessors in New Mexico and enforcing property tax laws.
Please contact the Assessor's Office for comments, question or concerns. George Chandler is available for in-person visits every Monday from 9:00am to 12:00pm at the Assessor's Office.
***Please be advised appraisers will be conducting field inspections and taking photos of properties in the western area and downtown eastern area residential neighborhoods.***