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Property Assessment Board of Review ramps up training; council to consider member compensation and staffing
Summary
Willie Donwell, director of the Property Assessment Board of Review, described trainings and next steps for the Board and said he will meet with council members to propose updates to rules, compensation and support; council received and placed the Board’s update on file.
Willie Donwell, director of the Property Assessment Board of Review, told the Budget, Finance and Audit Standing Committee that the Board is undergoing training and administrative reorganizing to prepare for the March Board of Review and ongoing appeals.
Donwell said board members have begun ethics training, swearing-in and will attend a State Tax Commission (STC) training Feb. 19; he also said the next MCAT class is in May in Westland. He described an expanded training plan intended to move “back to square 1” and give members practical experience ahead of the March sessions.
“We have to take the time to not just ... pass the test,” Donwell said, describing a program of staged trainings and practical applications, including an all-day poverty-exemptions training scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. the next day. Donwell said some Board responsibilities have grown and that city rules and compensation language have not been updated since 2010.
Councilmembers raised compensation and staffing questions. “The compensation is not there, and we are asking that they do more with limited funds,” Councilmember Santiago Romero said. She asked whether the Board could be supported by full-time staff or other structural changes and asked Donwell to propose options.
Vice Chair Young recommended producing an economic analysis that quantifies the Board’s impact—for example, foreclosure prevention rates and related economic effects—so council can evaluate resource requests. Donwell said the Board is procuring software funded by a prior appropriation and will use it to better connect applicants to other services.
The committee voted to receive and place the Board of Review update (line item 6.1) on file.
Donwell told members he will schedule one-on-one meetings with council offices to draft clarified policy, procedure and compensation language and will work with law, HR and LPD on options that the council can consider.
