Adams County Assessor Charged For Allegedly Lowering Appraisals

ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- The Adams County District Attorney has recommended charges of official misconduct for Adams County Assessor Gil Reyes.

Reyes, 59, is accused of instructing his administrative assistant to lower the appraisal values of nine warehouses in Adams County that were owned by Majestic Realty. The alleged appraisal happened in June 2005 and February 2007.

The original property appraisal values had been established by the staff commercial appraisers in Reyes' office.

The Colorado Constitution requires a County Assessor to determine property values based on the actual value of such property by appropriate consideration of cost approach, market approach and income approach.

The criminal charges allege that Reyes failed to follow the appropriate rules, regulations and statutes in lowering the appraisals for the identified Majestic properties.

In August 2011, the Division of Property Taxation at the Colorado Department of Local Affairs completed a report regarding an investigation of taxpayer complaints against Reyes. Their conclusion was "The warehouse subclass has not been valued at the correct level of value."

Reyes is scheduled to appear in Adams County Court on June 14.