Welcome to the Bay County Equalization Department
Bay County Building
515 Center Avenue, Suite 602
Bay City, Michigan 48708-5941
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(989) 895-4075 Voice
(989) 895-4078 Fax
(989) 895-4049 TDD/TTY
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Office Location:
Bay County Building, Downtown Bay City, South end of 6th Floor.
Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Parcel ownership, land descriptions, assessment information and tax information may be obtained online with the Property Tax Query which may be accessed anywhere on the Bay County website by selecting the drop down box labeled "Online Services". Appraisal Record Cards should be obtained at the City or Township where the subject is located. Bay County Tax Maps, Parcel Numbering structure, Plat indexes, and other useful information are available on the Property Descriptions and Tax Mapping page.
Duties of the Equalization Department
The Duties of the Equalization Department include annually performing sales and appraisal studies by class within each local unit to assure that assessments are maintained at 49-50% throughout the County; preparation of a Millage Reduction Report for all tax levying jurisdictions within the County; annual determination and reporting of millage rates allowed to be levied for approval by the Board of Commissioners; maintenance of property descriptions within the County (except for Bangor and Hampton Townships and the cities of Bay City and Essexville); assisting local assessors in all matters of assessment administration; assisting the County Board in all equalization and property value related issues. This office also contracts with the local units of government to assist in the assessment change notices, personal property statements and tax billing. The local assessor determines individual assessments.
County Equalization is mandated by Section 211.34 of the General Property Tax Act of the State of Michigan. This act states: 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.
Understanding Your Assessment in a Declining Market
Please see this excellent pamphlet explaining the effect that Proposal A has on your assessment
particularly examining changes in assessments in a declining real estate market
-See below for additional resources-
Bay County Equalization Department Staff:
Main phone line (989) 895-4075
Fax (989) 895-4078
Bill Deaton, Senior Appraiser
(989) 895-4081
deatonw@baycounty.net
Kelly Rifenbark, Appraiser
(989) 895-4080
rifenbarkk@baycounty.net
Michael Neese, Property Descriptions and Tax Mapping
(989) 895-4076
neesem@baycounty.net
Equalization Department Resources:
For City and Township Millage Rates,
SEV and Taxable Value Reports,
Assessment reports by School Distict,
Bay County's Top Ten Taxpayers,
and other related data please see
Equalization Reports & Millage Rates
For lists of sales & related sales data for Vacant Residential land,
Vacant Commercial and Industrial land,
Vacant Tiled and Untiled Agricultural land and Wooded land,
please see Limited Property Sales Reports
For contact information for Bay County's Assessors and Treasurers,
websites for Bay County's Cities and Townships and other local information,
please see Bay County Townships & Cities
For contact information of the Equalization Departments for all of Michigans other Counties
please see Statewide Equalization Departments
Bay County Tax Maps, Parcel Numbering structure, Plat indexes, and other useful information
are available on the Property Descriptions and Tax Mapping page
