County and Feds wrestle with tribal land tax issue

The federal court ruling that made at least 1,000 La Conner area homes exempt from property taxes is in the hands of lawyers.

County officials have said the affected properties will be removed from the 2015 tax rolls.

Meanwhile, the county is advising residents whose homes are on leased tribal land to pay their taxes this year, “until we get this sorted out,” said RC Cavazos, chief deputy with the Skagit County Assessor’s office.

The second half of the 2014 property tax is due Oct. 31.

The move stems from a United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling that all buildings on triba...