Schmidt appeals property tax bill

Republican Dave Schmidt, who is campaigning to regain his state Senate seat this year, has formally appealed the 2010 property tax bill on his Mill Creek condo.

Schmidt filed an appeal with the Snohomish County Board of Equalization contending the assessed value of the unit should be $186,500 rather than the $206,500 value determined by the county.

Resolution of the appeal will take months and unlikely to finish this year. It cannot begin until the 2010 tax rolls close in October.

In the meantime, the former state lawmaker still must come up with money to pay his 2009 property tax bill -- and he said that's going to take awhile.

"I will start the process to set up a payment plan" with Snohomish County, he said.

Schmidt has not paid property taxes on his condominium since 2008.

As of late June, he racked up a debt of more than $4,300 in principal, interest and penalties since the start of 2009. Of the total, $3,014.65 is owed from 2009.

Schmidt said in June he's been trying to sell the condo for months for $185,000 without any takers.