Bill would let SDAT locate assessment offices outside county seats and broaden supervisor hiring pool

The State Department of Assessments and Taxation told the Ways and Means Committee that House Bill 298 would remove two statutory constraints: a requirement that local assessment offices be located in county seats and a residency requirement for assessment supervisors.

Bob Yeager said the county‑seat and residency provisions limit options for accessible, cost‑effective office space and exclude experienced assessors who live outside a county. He said the bill's purpose is to let SDAT negotiate leases and locate offices that meet operational needs while keeping a local presence in each county.

"Removing the county seat location requirement provides the department with greater flexibility to secure office space that's appropriately priced, operationally suitable, and accessible to the public," Yeager said. He and other SDAT representatives said Department of General Services coordinates leases and real estate searches and that SDAT would continue to maintain distinct sites in each county; the bill would not eliminate the statutory requirement for a county presence that remains codified elsewhere.

Delegates asked whether the bill would require offices in every county or allow counties to be served from outside a county. SDAT said state law still obligates an office in every county and the bill only changes whether that office must sit in the county seat. SDAT also confirmed that area supervisors may continue to oversee multiple counties and that the bill does not alter that supervisory structure.

The committee heard these technical clarifications and closed the HB 298 hearing without taking an immediate vote.

What happens next: The committee will consider the bill and any clarifying language that lawmakers may propose to ensure county presences are preserved while granting office‑location flexibility.