Some Omaha homeowners are in shock as property taxes are skyrocketing for those in older neighborhoods whose homes have been re-assessed for the first time in years.

Some are complaining that their bills have doubled over the last year.

State law requires property to be assessed for tax purposes at least 94-100 percent of fair market value, which is what your home would sell for.

In recent years, that's resulted in sticker shock as appraisers started in western Douglas County and have been working their way east.

As older neighborhoods are re-assessed for the first time in years, the tax increase can be large.

Janie Watts' split foyer near Fontenelle Park has been re-assessed and is now valued by the county at $79,000. That means her property tax bill has doubled since last year.

"Last year I was paying $773.26," Watts said. "This year -- $1,592.38. I think that's a rip-off."

Watts, who is 62 and on a fixed income, says she was hit hard in the pocketbook.

"Going to have to cut, I guess," she said. "But I don't know. It's going to be rough."

Her neighbor, Melvin Dortch, saw a similar tax hike.

"Our taxes doubled," said Dortch. "For my little property, I think that's a little high. That's almost $1,500 just for a small lot."

The county assessor says the neighborhood had not been re-assessed in a decade, and the properties are some of the last to be brought up to fair market value.

While it's a blow now, he says property taxes here have been too low for some time.

"Properties that have been under-valued, the other homeowners that are paying their fair share are picking up that portion of that homeowners' taxes," said Roger Morrissey, Douglas County Assessor.

"So all residential properties could be raised 10 percent by the state if Roger's numbers don't come within that 94-100 percent of value," said Christine Lustgarten, assistant county attorney.

Watts thought she was paying enough all along.

"Not going to be too much Christmas for me," she said.

The county-wide reassessment is nearly complete, which is encouraging news.