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Value Adjustment Board raises petition filing fee to $50, votes 4-1
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Summary
The Value Adjustment Board voted 4-1 to set a $50 filing fee for most petitions under new state legislation; homestead portability petitions remain $15.
The Value Adjustment Board voted 4-1 on June 10 to set a $50 filing fee for most petitions filed with the board, with a single dissent from Miss Pritchett.
The move implements new state legislation that allows local VABs to charge up to $50 per petition; homestead portability petitions remain at the longstanding $15 rate. Legal counsel explained the change to the board before members debated the amount.
Mister Thalwitzer, legal counsel to the board, told members that “VABs may now adopt filing fees of up to $50 per petition. The main exception is Homestead Portability petitions, which remain $15 per petition.” He added the change is the result of recent legislation and is at the board’s discretion.
Board members discussed the appropriate level. One board member said, “Taxes go up every single year. I just feel like 15 may be too low, but 50 is too high. Maybe somewhere in the middle.” Another member said they were comfortable setting the fee at $50 if it better reflected the workload.
Board clerk (staff) provided a procedural context, noting, “Last year, we had 287 petitions filed,” a figure the board used when weighing likely revenue offset and staff time. Mister Thalwitzer said fee revenue typically covers a minority of VAB operating costs — roughly 10%–20% in his experience — so even doubling or tripling the fee would not cover the whole budget.
After discussion, a motion to set non-portability filing fees at $50 carried by a 4-1 roll call, with Miss Pritchett recorded as the lone dissent. The board did not change the $15 fee for homestead portability petitions.
The fee change takes effect for the 2025 tax cycle and will apply to petitions filed under the board’s procedures; the board did not schedule any further review of the fee at the meeting.
Why it matters: Filing fees affect taxpayers who choose the VAB for property-tax disputes and can modestly offset VAB administrative costs. The decision increases the cost of bringing most petitions to the board from the multi-decade standard of $15 to $50.
