Historically, tax maps were hand drawn, usually in a 1" to 400' format. In the last couple of decades many of our maps have been drawn in AutoCAD, in a 1" to 200' format. In recent years, all parcels that have been drawn in AutoCAD have undergone acreage review and the acreage is changed as needed to reflect the more precise mapping.
Explanation of Assessor/GIS Acreage Recalculation Project:
The Assessor's office has been in the process of recalculating property acreages, during the ongoing project of converting hand drawn Assessor tax maps into AutoCAD. Using AutoCAD allows them to be constructed with the highest possible accuracy using standard surveying practices.
With advancements in technology: GPS, High Resolution Imagery and Deed specific property maps, when each map is completed we can provide more accurate acreage calculations. This process aids in our ongoing need to fairly assess the properties of Kitsap County to the best of our ability.
For the Tax Rolls, calculation of acreage is based on the property lines in the AutoCAD map. The exception to this is when a Recorded Survey shows the acreage of the staked boundary of a property. Recorded Survey acreage is not used when the survey includes area that extends beyond the shoreline.
