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Senate debates substitute on use of contract appraisers and contingency-fee restrictions for tax agencies
Summary
Senate debate on a substitute to SB 62 focused on whether counties or the tax commission should be allowed to use contingency-fee contracts for appraisals; supporters said the substitute authorizes confidential use of contract appraisers but prohibits contingency arrangements for agencies, while critics said the change could tilt the playing field against taxpayers.
On the Senate floor legislators debated a second substitute to Senate Bill 62 about property-tax appraisal procedures and the use of contract appraisers. The substitute would expressly authorize the tax commission and counties to contract with private firms for appraisal work, require that contracted appraisal information be treated as confidential under public-records rules, and prohibit contingency-fee arrangements for the commission or counties when they employ contract appraisers.
Supporters said the provision protects the integrity of government appraisals while giving agencies tools they lack under current statute; they emphasized confidentiality safeguards and the need for professional appraisals. Opponents said the measure created an uneven playing field by banning contingency-fee arrangements for government bodies while leaving taxpayers free to hire private contingency appraisers, arguing that either both sides should be allowed contingencies or neither.
Senator Dimitrij and others voiced concern and asked that the contingency prohibition be revisited; the Senate debated whether to accept the substitute, reconsider acceptance and ultimately placed the second substitute on the third-reading calendar after votes were taken. The substitute was recorded as showing 18 ayes and 7 nays (and the bill advanced to the next stage on the calendar).
