July 31, 2025
Dear Subscriber,
We’re proud to share some exciting news! The Sacramento County Assessor’s Office has been honored with the 2025 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award for Innovation for our groundbreaking Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Characteristics Program.
As featured in last year’s Annual Report, this forward-thinking initiative was created in response to California’s growing support for ADUs—those backyard cottages, in-law units, and converted garages that are becoming increasingly common in neighborhoods across the state.
Until recently, our property characteristics were limited to a sum or total of the living area, bedrooms, baths, and other attributes of all residential structures on a single parcel of land. But ADUs brought new complexity—and new opportunities. We recognized the need to clearly identify and categorize these units separately from other structures, and we acted.
Our program was the first of its kind in California, setting a new standard by adding detailed ADU-specific attributes to our property database. This not only improves accuracy in property tax assessments but also provides valuable data for homeowners, developers, permitting agencies, lenders, appraisers, and real estate professionals.
This recognition isn’t just a win for our office, it’s a win for transparency, innovation, and smarter government service. We’re honored to lead the way as our communities evolve and grow.
