• Related story: Rising property values contribute extra $2.3M to Washtenaw County coffers

Washtenaw County’s overall taxable value increased in 2013 for the first time since 2008, marking the best gain in taxable value out of its adjacent counties this year, according to the county’s Equalization Department.

Since the economy slumped in 2008, taxable property values have declined in Washtenaw County. From 2012 to 2013, they increased by 1.68 percent to $14.2 billion.

However, property values have not recovered to their 2008 levels, when the county’s taxable value was at $15.6 billion.

The figures were among an annual data set presented to the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners for approval Wednesday night by Raman Patel, director of the Equalization Department. Patel has been compiling equalization reports for the county for 42 years.

The board approved the county equalization report in a 8-0 vote. Commissioner Rolland Sizemore Jr., D-Ypsilanti Township, was absent.

Patel also presented the board with a list of tentative taxable value changes for counties adjacent to Washtenaw:

• Wayne County: -1.20 percent
• Genesee County: -2.43 percent
• Oakland County: 0.00 percent
• Macomb County: -0.55 percent
• Livingston County: 1.18 percent
• St. Clair County: -0.06 percent
• Monroe County: -0.46 percent
• Lapeer County: 0.05 percent

As residential property values stabilized and improved by 2.37 percent in Washtenaw County, industrial property values continue to decline.

From 2012 to 2013, property values for 1,091 industrial parcels in the county dropped by nearly five percent to $421.7 million.

Patel attributed the drop mainly to the sale and removal of the personal property from the former GM Willow Run plant in Ypsilanti Township.

Most new construction in the past three years has been increasingly in downtown development authority districts where a portion of the taxable value is captured through a tax increment finance district, Patel said.

“This year is unusual because most new construction has happened in DDA districts,” Patel said.

In the City of Ann Arbor, the DDA and Brownfield districts will collect about $179.8 million from property taxes, according to Patel’s 2013 report.

The following is the estimated percent change in 2013 taxable value from the 2012 figure for each municipality:

Cities

• Ann Arbor: 3.34
• Chelsea: 0.52
• Milan: 3.51
• Saline: 3.97
• Ypsilanti: -0.38

Townships

• Ann Arbor: 0.18
• Augusta: -1.52
• Bridgewater: -0.89
• Dexter: 2.73
• Freedom: 5.07
• Lima: 3.51
• Lodi: 0.53
• Lyndon: 3.66
• Manchester: 0.64
• Northfield: 3.25
• Pittsfield: 0.32
• Salem: 1.62
• Saline: 3.88
• Scio: 1.30
• Sharon: -1.20
• Superior: 0.36
• Sylvan: -0.48
• Webster: 2.90
• York: 3.82
• Ypsilanti: -2.53

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.