The world of property assessments and accompanying tax bills is a mystery to many.

No one is more aware of that fact than Lloyd Hara, the man charged with overseeing the property taxes assessed throughout King County. He was elected assessor in November, filling the term vacated by Scott Noble.

As part of his campaign, Hara pledged to take taxes to the people. He’s doing just that, scheduling town hall meetings across the county and inviting other county officials to join him, all in the hope of making individual tax bills just a bit more understandable. As part of that education process, Hara and company have scheduled a meeting for 6:30 p.m. April 15 at the Enumclaw Public Library.

Hara knows he will face an Enumclaw audience keenly interested in the dollars they’re paying. He also knows local residents may cast a suspicious eye toward the county’s taxing process.

“Enumclaw is one of the areas that definitely received a sight increase in its property taxes in 2008,” Hara said, noting that property owners in other parts of the county saw their numbers dip.

To explain the entire process, Hara has been inviting representatives from the Board of Equalization, King County Treasurer’s Office and King County Tax Advisor’s office to help answer questions about property assessments and values, exemptions and the appeals process.