Audit committee adds review of assessor's office after council member's request; two audits removed from plan

Council Member Benedict requested a comprehensive audit of the Metropolitan Assessor of Property's office and the Metropolitan Board of Equalization, and the Metropolitan Audit Committee voted to amend the 2025 audit plan to add that review.

Benedict told the committee the request is “about transparency and trust in government,” and asked for a full departmental audit of the assessor’s office, a structural review of the Metropolitan Board of Equalization (MBOE), an examination of board appointment and vetting processes, an accessibility review of the appeals process, and a review of how the state’s monitoring of the assessor’s work operates.

The committee’s auditor, Lauren Riley, briefed members on options for scoping the work and on existing oversight from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Division of Property Assessments. Ryan Duggan, assistant director with the Tennessee Comptroller’s Division of Property Assessments, described the state’s monitoring process: the assessor’s office must visually inspect parcels on a 3-year schedule tied to the…