Thurston County treasurer reports roughly $5.3 million in 2025 tax refunds
February 05, 2026 | Thurston County, Washington
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County Treasurer Jesse Gadmin reported to the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 4 that the county issued approximately $5,300,000 in tax refunds for 2025, a figure he said falls within a normal historical range of about $3 million to $6 million.
Gadmin said refunds arise for several specific reasons: a successful challenge to assessed value before the Board of Equalization; senior and veteran exemptions; destroyed-property adjustments (for example, structures removed or homes damaged by fire, verified by the assessor); manifest appraisal errors identified by the assessor; and simple overpayments. “These are the refund checks that we wrote last year,” he said, adding that the longest list on the report was for senior exemptions.
Commissioners asked questions about categories and large individual refunds. When one commissioner noted a roughly $201,000 refund to the Kaiser Foundation, Gadmin explained that the size reflected a significant reduction in assessed value after a Board of Equalization challenge rather than nonprofit status. He described the BOE as an arbiter between property owners and the assessor and noted that assessors verify claims before value reductions trigger refunds.
No formal board action was taken on the report; Gadmin offered to answer follow-up questions and commissioners thanked him for the briefing.
The treasurer’s presentation covered standard refund categories and process details; commissioners raised no motions based on the report.
Gadmin said refunds arise for several specific reasons: a successful challenge to assessed value before the Board of Equalization; senior and veteran exemptions; destroyed-property adjustments (for example, structures removed or homes damaged by fire, verified by the assessor); manifest appraisal errors identified by the assessor; and simple overpayments. “These are the refund checks that we wrote last year,” he said, adding that the longest list on the report was for senior exemptions.
Commissioners asked questions about categories and large individual refunds. When one commissioner noted a roughly $201,000 refund to the Kaiser Foundation, Gadmin explained that the size reflected a significant reduction in assessed value after a Board of Equalization challenge rather than nonprofit status. He described the BOE as an arbiter between property owners and the assessor and noted that assessors verify claims before value reductions trigger refunds.
No formal board action was taken on the report; Gadmin offered to answer follow-up questions and commissioners thanked him for the briefing.
The treasurer’s presentation covered standard refund categories and process details; commissioners raised no motions based on the report.
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