Roane and Anderson county assessors propose shifting to 4‑year reappraisal to reduce tax‑rate volatility

Anderson County and Roane County property assessors told Oak Ridge councilors they are preparing to move from a five‑year to a four‑year property reappraisal cycle to reduce the size of the valuation “ratio” that affects certified tax rates and tax‑relief programs.

Molly Harteeprone, identified in the meeting as Roane County Property Assessor, said assessors have discussed more frequent reappraisals statewide and chose a four‑year cycle as a practical step to reduce the number of years between statutory reappraisals. "Going to a 4 year reappraisal, that would drop a ratio. And so that helps us significantly as a county and all of our cities," Harteeprone said.

John Alley, Anderson County Property Assessor, said counties are adopting new tools — notably EagleView aerial imagery and commercial scraping services — to improve efficiency and reach properties that are gated, remote or otherwise difficult to inspect. Alley said Anderson County is seeking budget approval for EagleView imagery and that…