Rutherford County purchasing committee approves RFP to commission independent parcel appraisals with multiple scope options

The Rutherford County Purchasing Committee on Tuesday approved sending a request for proposals for third‑party appraisals of taxable parcels, asking vendors to price multiple scopes — including 10%, 25%, 50% and 100% sampling options — and to supply a per‑parcel fee schedule.

Nick, a county staff member who briefed the committee, said the state comptroller’s review is in a ‘‘quality control phase’’ and that the county does not yet know whether the net revenue impact would be material to county finances. ‘‘We don't have an answer from the comptroller on that yet,’’ Nick said, adding the comptroller agreed the county would not be charged further for their review.

Committee members debated cost, scope and timing. Several commissioners urged a phased approach so the county could start with a smaller, less costly sample and expand if the audit found substantial discrepancies. ‘‘If we start with 10% and the sample shows issues, we can move to 25% or 50%,’’ one commissioner said during the discussion. Chairman McAdoo recommended including a pricing table from bidders that lists costs from 1% up to 100% to make comparisons easier.

The motion directs the county attorney and the finance department, working with the purchasing agent, to prepare the RFP language that will solicit total fees for 10%, 25%, 50% and 100% sample sizes and, if available, a per‑parcel price sheet. The committee discussed timing and agreed staff could aim to finish the solicitation language in roughly 30 days or in the first weeks of the new year to avoid holiday delays.

The committee voted on the amended motion to include the multi‑scope and per‑parcel pricing request and approved it by roll call, with the clerk recording affirmative responses from the commissioners present.

The purchasing committee said the RFP would allow bidders to propose phased approaches and per‑parcel pricing so the county can gauge cost versus potential revenue impact before expanding the scope. The item will be reported to the full Board of Commissioners as part of the purchasing minutes, and staff said the purchasing committee will revisit the matter if the comptroller’s final quality‑control report indicates the county's revenue exposure is small or negligible.