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State work group hears calls for statewide AAB training, registry and clearer cross‑county rules
Summary
County officials and advocacy groups at a State Board of Equalization work group on Sept. 16 urged the Board to sponsor statewide training, create an AAB registry, and clarify rules for borrowing assessment appeals board members across counties to address recruitment and retention problems, particularly in small and rural counties.
The State Board of Equalization heard detailed proposals Sept. 16 aimed at easing chronic recruitment and training problems for county assessment appeals boards, with large counties offering templates smaller counties say they cannot yet operate alone.
County officials, clerks and taxpayer advocates told the Board’s work group that a mix of statewide training, plain‑language materials and clearer interpretations of existing law could increase the pool of qualified volunteers and reduce inconsistent decisions.
Why it matters: assessment appeals boards (AABs) decide disputes over property assessments that affect tax bills for homeowners, businesses and public agencies. Several counties said they lack a steady pool of willing, qualified members — and when panels are incomplete or inexperienced, cases can be delayed or produce decisions that invite litigation.
Los Angeles County representatives described an extensive local program that county officials and outside groups said could serve as a model. Jennifer Tran, director for the LA County board executive office, said LA expanded virtual hearings in 2021 and grew daily board capacity from five to eight panels. The county runs a two‑part onboarding curriculum, mandatory quarterly legal briefings led by County Counsel Thomas Parker, job shadowing and continuing education workshops. Tran said the county also posts tutorial videos and a resource center; last year the AAB resource pages received “nearly 53,000” visits and the video library drew “nearly 21,000” viewers, with several thousand using language translation features.
“An annual BOE conference for networking and training purposes, and an AAB registry that would let interested members temporarily assist other counties, would help,” Tran said. “Clear communication standards between counties when coordinating availability will be essential.”
County counsel and clerks emphasized the legal and operational gaps. Thomas Parker, Los Angeles County Deputy County Counsel, told the work group that recent state statutes expanding eligibility (Revenue and Taxation Code sections 1624.1 and 1624.05 were cited in testimony) have helped larger counties recruit. But he and others said many smaller counties still struggle to fill panels and would benefit if the State Board issued a clear interpretive opinion (an LTA) on whether and how counties may use out‑of‑county AAB members temporarily.
“Rule 308.6 allows borrowing under narrow conflict rules, and the statute authorizes multi‑county boards, but many counties have not used that statutory scheme,” Parker said. “An LTA clarifying the Board’s interpretation of existing law on whether county A can call county B’s member to sit on a county A panel would be helpful.”
San Diego Assistant Clerk Anne Moore echoed the training gap, saying many appointees lack legal background to apply concepts such as “good cause” and evidentiary standards. “Board members quickly realize the complexity of the quasi‑judicial determinations they face,” Moore said. She recommended statewide plain‑language modules plus annual case‑law briefings led by BOE attorneys so non‑attorney members can make legally defensible determinations.
The California Clerks of the Board of Supervisors Association (CCBSA) called for BOE‑authored statewide modules, plain‑language guidance on complex rules (for example, what “good cause” for continuance is), annual case‑law briefings and an LTA clarifying cross‑county appointment authority. Bridal Velhaquez, representing CCBSA, also urged BOE guidance to broaden categories of eligible appointees where appropriate so counties can expand their candidate pools.
Practical concerns arose repeatedly: training time and costs, limits on county staff capacity to recruit and support appointees, and whether the BOE should standardize or only recommend best practices. David Young, Deputy Director of the BOE’s Property Tax Department, told the panel that BOE classes and the self‑study assessment appeals manual are available statewide, and the agency opened classes to all AAB members on Aug. 1. He noted the certification exam can be taken as a self‑study over a year and estimated a committed person could complete the material in about 40 hours.
Several presenters urged the BOE to make its materials easier to find on county sites and to sponsor mechanisms for inter‑county sharing of training resources and speakers. John Tudor, representing the California County Assessors’ IT Authority and a former local board member, suggested exploring a joint powers approach for a statewide portal model (already funded for other assessor functions) that could host shared training materials and operational tools for clerks and AAB members.
Ending note: speakers recommended a multipronged approach — short, plain‑language modules for new members; annual advanced briefings on recent case law; a voluntary statewide registry of available AAB members; and an interpretive LTA clarifying cross‑county appointment options. The work group will collect recommendations for a written report to the Board for consideration in the coming months.
