Committee reviews draft bill to create 12 regional assessment districts for statewide reappraisal

At a Ways & Means committee meeting Feb. 13, lawmakers reviewed a draft bill to create 12 regional assessment districts that would shift property appraisal and grand-list duties from municipal listers to regional staffs operating under the Department of Taxes.

The bill, drafted from recommendations in the Act 68 report, would create a new statutory subchapter establishing legislative intent, authorizing 12 regional assessment districts ("RADs"), and setting standards for data collection, contracting and reappraisal schedules. Kirby Gee, state council, described the draft as a way to standardize valuation and data across the state and to professionalize appraisal work.

The proposal would base the 12 RADs mostly on county lines (with Franklin and Grand Isle combined and Essex and Orleans combined) so each district would oversee at least about 10,000 parcels. Assessment supervisors for each RAD would be appointed by the commissioner of taxes and would be responsible for supervising implementation, assisting the director of Property Valuation and Review (PVR) on valuation and data collection, employing staff, preparing budgets and contracting for reappraisals.

Committee members were asked to focus on understanding the statutory language rather than wordsmithing during the first review. Gee said the bill starts with legislative intent to guide…