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Polk County officials report progress on HB 3518 to fund property reappraisals
Summary
Polk County commissioners said supporters of House Bill 3518 made a strong showing at a recent hearing and are seeking changes to recording fees and a state appropriation to fund county reassessment work and assessor staffing.
Commissioner (unidentified), Polk County Board of Commissioners, told fellow commissioners March 18 that supporters of House Bill 3518 showed strong turnout at a recent public hearing and are seeking new revenue for assessor offices statewide.
"We're asking for 0.3% of, property tax holdback and $10,000,000 from the state's general fund," the commissioner said, describing the bill's funding request. He said more than 20 people testified in support of the measure.
The bill, described during the meeting as a proposal for "sustainable assessment and taxation funding," would rely on an increase in document-recording fees and a $10 million general-fund request to support reassessment work and related staffing. The commissioner said county assessors, other commissioners and local representatives attended the hearing; he said the League of Oregon Cities sought additional information and that the realtors association opposed the proposal.
Supporters emphasized the need for additional staff to maintain reassessment cycles. Commissioner (unidentified) relayed testimony from Multnomah County saying "for every clerk he could hire, we'd bring in $15,000,000," and described that as an example of the potential return on investment cited by larger counties.
Speakers at the meeting noted variations across Oregon counties. The commissioner said some counties had not revisited properties for more than 30 years after voters approved Measure 50, while Polk County has maintained a regular reappraisal cycle. He credited former assessor Dennis Day with building a strong reappraisal program locally.
The county leaders said they have submitted written testimony and retained additional lobbying support in Salem to press the bill forward. No legislative action on the bill was recorded during the March 18 meeting.
Clarifying details discussed at the meeting included the proposal's two main funding components (an increase to document-recording fees and a $10,000,000 state general fund ask) and supporters' statement that more than 20 people provided testimony in favor. The meeting record did not specify the bill's current committee status or the final legislative outcome.
