INTERNATIONAL

A property tax based on annually uprated values would be a game changer
The Guardian
Rishi Sunak needs a game changer to have any hope of leading the Conservatives to victory at the next general election. Sir Keir Starmer could do with something to seal the deal with the British public. The conventional wisdom is that there are no easy wins available to either the prime minister or the leader of the opposition in these straitened times. 

ALASKA

Anchorage Democrat offers oil and gas property tax as piece of fiscal fix
Alaska Beacon
State law currently allows local governments to tax oil and gas property — things like drilling rigs, pipelines and associated equipment — up to 20 mills, or $2 per $100 in value. House Bill 153 would increase that cap from 20 mills to 30 mills — from $2 to $3 — and the state, rather than local governments, would keep the increase.

CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles Ritz, Marriott Win Property Tax Value Case on Appeal
Bloomberg Tax
The company that owns a hotel co-managed by Ritz-Carlton and Marriott near Los Angeles' downtown convention center convinced a state appeals court that the county improperly included intangible assets in the valuation of the property.

San Francisco Mayor To Propose Rule Changes To Spur Office-To-Lab Conversions
BisNow
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is expected to release a new plan that includes a change to zoning regulations and an accelerated approval process meant to ease the path toward office conversion projects, particularly to lab space.

IDAHO

Data center bill 'throws wrench' in Kuna water treatment plans
idahopress.com
On Wednesday, Gov. Brad Little signed HB 328, a bill that prevents data centers from receiving both the sales tax exemption provided by the state and participating in urban renewal tax increments, into law. The bill has caused quite an uproar in Kuna, which hosts the site of the future Meta data center many believe the bill takes aim at.

ILLINOIS

The Sad Story Behind Michael Jordan's $14.9 Million Mansion
Sportsmanor
Michael Jordan has struggled to sell one of his houses that he bought when the Chicago Bulls were thriving. The big question here is, who would not want to buy a house that accommodated the biggest athlete of all time? 

Wells Fargo Seeking $205M From New York Investor For 45-Story Chicago Office Tower Debt
BisNow
A New York-based investor has been slapped with a $205M lawsuit from lender Wells Fargo in an effort to recover the cost of its loan on the Chicago Civic Opera Building, a 45-story downtown office property.

IOWA

Eastern Iowa homeowners see sharp property assessment increases
The Gazette
When Laura Yindra received her assessment notice and saw the assessed value of her two-story Marion home rose a whopping 43 percent — to $327,800 — she was surprised, to say the least. But after she searched comparable homes in her part of town on the Linn County Assessor's website, Yindra said she found no evidence that the increase was out of line with sales in her neighborhood.

LOUISIANA

Nonprofit: Greenfield owes $200 million in property taxes for grain elevator project
The Lens Nola
A nonprofit opposed to the construction of a grain elevator in St. John the Baptist Parish sued the company behind the project, Greenfield Louisiana, along with the parish's tax assessor, arguing Greenfield is being shielded from $209 million in property taxes. 

MAINE

Portland chooses new tax assessor
Press Herald
Portland's interim city manager has chosen a longtime Windham official to become Portland's new city assessor. The City Council is scheduled to vote Monday evening to officially hire Elisa A. Marr, who has been Windham's tax assessor since 2015 and before that was the town's assistant tax assessor and GIS technician. 

MICHIGAN

The ‘dark store theory' has cost Michigan cities millions. It's facing new challenges.
mlive.com
In the spring of 2004, a vice president from Wal-Mart Real Estate Trust signed a development agreement with Houghton city officials that laid out conditions for the retail giant to expand an existing store on the south end of the city into a Walmart Supercenter.

MISSOURI

Mo. Tax Board Denies Menards' Bid For $5M Property Value Cut
Law360
The Missouri State Tax Commission affirmed a county board's nearly $17 million valuation of an owner-occupied Menards property, saying the home improvement retailer failed to prove that sales of similar properties...

NEW HAMPSHIRE

With bipartisan support, NH House passes bill to legalize and tax marijuana
Manchester Ink Link
A marijuana legalization bill cleared another hurdle in Concord this week, with bipartisan support. The New Hampshire House of Representatives on Thursday voted 272 to 109 to pass a bill to legalize and tax cannabis. New Hampshire is the only state in New England where recreational marijuana use remains illegal.

NEW JERSEY

N.J. city's tax assessor charged with possessing child porn, prosecutor says
nj.com
Richard Carmosino, 70, of Lambertville, was charged following an investigation by the prosecutor's office after the office received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Robeson said.

OREGON

Amazon strikes renewable power deal for Oregon data centers, won't say how much it's buying
Oregon Live
The Seattle company announced Tuesday it has begun working with the local power utility, the Umatilla Electric Cooperative, to choose the electricity supply for its huge data center operations near the communities of Boardman and Hermiston. It said that enables the company to choose some renewable power for its installations.

WASHINGTON

Seattle's commercial real estate market slows as bank challenges pile up
The Seattle Times
In Seattle neighborhoods from Columbia City to Capitol Hill, developers are holding off on planned apartment projects. Downtown, office buildings are shedding tenants. At City Hall, fewer permit applications for new construction are flowing in.

WEST VIRGINIA

Lincoln County assessor files lawsuit
Herald Dispatch
Lincoln County Assessor Jamie Linville has filed a lawsuit naming the Lincoln County Commission, Lincoln County Commission President Josh Stowers, County Clerk Kristy Scraggs, Commissioner Maria “Phoebe” Harless and Commissioner Kimberly Blair as respondents in the ongoing battle of office switches between the Assessor's office and the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department.

WYOMING

Billionaires Are Moving Millionaires Out Of Jackson, Similar Trends Happening Across Wyoming
Cowboy State Daily
Even the millionaires living in Teton County cannot compete with the current influx of wealth that's moving into a beloved tourist destination. Income stats for Teton County show billionaires are moving out millionaires and middle class alike - at a pace that appears to be accelerating.

Dave Simpson: The Property Tax Problem Isn't Just In Jackson
Cowboy State Daily
Turns out you don't have to be part of the wine, cheese and granola set up in Jackson Hole to feel the pinch of higher property values this year. The most dramatic examples of runaway home values are in Teton County - with average homes commonly selling for millions, and a lot with a double-wide trailer reportedly selling for $600,000.