As part of this week’s extended series on tax assessments around Atlanta, this morning’s AJC highlights DeKalb County.

In summary, the AJC’s analysis shows DeKalb went further than many other Atlanta counties in cutting property tax assessments, though I suspect much of the more realistic evaluations can be attributed to an AJC expose’ in April, which revealed the County was illegally not considering foreclosures during reevaluation of property values.

The article uses the CSX rail line, which runs through the heart of Decatur, as the border that separates fortunes.  To the north, home prices held their own.

A CSX rail line bisects DeKalb County from east to west, splitting Decatur, the county seat.

Appraisals south of that line sank like an anchor. Homes north of the CSX line, however, held their taxable value better than much of metro Atlanta. Brookhaven (ZIP code 30319) actually gained more than $125 million in residential value from construction, additions and renovations. Unlike other areas in DeKalb, sales prices actually improved in Brookhaven, by 1.4 percent. Appraisers tacked on $63 million to the residential worth of Decatur (30030), where sales prices jumped 10 percent. Dunwoody (30338) picked up $44 million, where home prices were unchanged.

But to the south, in areas like my old Kentucky 30032, it was a home value bloodbath.

ZIP code 30032 near Columbia Drive and Glenwood Road, for example, was reappraised downward by a total of $287 million. The median decline in tax appraisals was 21 percent, but sales data show that the median price fell by nearly half. This suggests that tax valuations could have been cut even more, and that some homeowners are paying tax on values their property no longer holds.

DeKalb raised taxes 3.73% for the unincorporated portions of the county this past year, and 1.33% for Decatur residents.  Who knows what next year may hold.