Ways and Means panel recommends continuation of Property Tax Oversight Commission

The Arizona House Ways and Means Committee voted to recommend continuation of the Property Tax Oversight Commission after a staff-supported presentation on the commission's duties and membership.

Karen Jacobs, registered lobbyist for the Property Tax Oversight Commission, told the committee the commission was created by 1987 legislation effective Jan. 1, 1988, to promote public confidence in property tax limits and to provide a uniform methodology for determining levy limits. "The Department of Revenue provides staff for the PTOC," Jacobs said, summarizing the panel's statutory duties.

The commission has five members, Jacobs said, with four members required to be knowledgeable in property tax assessment and levy matters; members serve three-year terms and continue to discharge duties until successors qualify. She described statutory responsibilities including review of primary and secondary property tax levies, truth-in-taxation hearing compliance, calculation of minimum school tax rates, identification of frozen school tax rates, and monitoring corrective action where levy-limit violations are found.

Chairman Justin Olsen said he supports continuing the commission and called its work "very important." The committee then moved to a roll-call recommendation. Representative Nick Kuppur moved that the committee recommend continuation. The secretary recorded eight ayes, zero nays, zero present and one absent; the committee announced the recommendation had passed by an 8-0 (1 absent) vote.

The committee filed its rules in accordance with House Rule 9(c) before acting as the committee of reference for the continuation vote.