NATIONAL

The ‘Dark Store' Threat to Property Tax Revenues
Governing
Some big-name chain-store operators, including Walmart, Lowe's, Target and the Midwest's Meijer, have been suing their local governments for lower property taxes on the premise of a controversial legal argument called the “dark store” theory. Localities are fighting back, but there's a need for stronger legislation to protect tax revenues.

ILLINOIS

Donald Trump wins $1 million property tax refund on namesake Chicago skyscraper, Illinois Appellate Court rules
Chicago Sun-Times
Former President Donald J. Trump and co-owners in his namesake Chicago skyscraper are now set to get $1 million in property tax refunds that they've been seeking for years. That's after the Illinois Appellate Court agreed that the Trump International Hotel & Tower was overvalued by the Cook County assessor's office and the Cook County Board of Review a dozen years ago.

MINNESOTA

Nobles County ag land owners see property values rise 30% to 74%
The Globe
Last week, Assessor Valerie Ruesch reported to Nobles County commissioners that values on bare agricultural land are rising by 30% to 74% throughout the county in 2023, with ag land owners in Leota Township experiencing the greatest increase in their property's value.

NEW YORK

Financial Challenges ‘Clobber' New York City's Office Landlords
The New York Times
New York City's biggest corporate landlords had it great for years — benefiting from a booming economy in a city where companies clamored to set up offices and from low interest rates that buoyed the economics of an industry built on debt.

TEXAS

Who oversees TX appraisal districts? Tarrant Appraisal tech failures highlight oversight gap
Yahoo News
When a Texas appraisal district is out of compliance with state tax code, there is no clear authority higher than the board of directors to hold the agency accountable. This apparent oversight gap has Tarrant County homeowners and local leaders wondering how to respond to the Tarrant Appraisal District's technological failings this tax season.

Tax abatement agreement between Fort Worth, Carhartt paves way for 500 jobs
Community Impact
The city of Fort Worth and Carhartt entered into a seven-year tax abatement agreement to create a distribution center in northeast Fort Worth. The company will lease a 1.2 million-square-foot location from DHL at 16101 Wolff Crossing, west of Texas Motor Speedway, and it will be operational by December 2024, according to the city. 

Homeowners in Williamson County may see a decrease in their home appraisals
kvue.com
Appraisal districts are required to value homes on Jan. 1 of every year, and homeowners in Williamson County may start seeing a decline in the value of their homes. This decline is due to the rapidly-changing housing market across the country and in the area. Homes in the county are indicating a value decrease of around 11% from Jan. 1, 2022, to Jan. 1, 2023.