Budget committee backs amendment to Ordinance 6,011 to expand Board of Equalization authority and change pay rules

The Jackson County Budget Committee voted to recommend Ordinance 6,011 to the full legislature after adopting an amendment that changes how the county's Board of Equalization (BOE) is paid, clarifies its authority to issue broad equalization orders and adjusts evidence-handling requirements.

The amendment, presented by a committee lawmaker, would pay BOE members $5,000 in any month during which the BOE conducts more than 25 hearings (a hearing is defined in the amendment as a three‑hour segment); the change replaces a calendar‑month based expectation that had previously guided pay. "Any month where the board conducts more than 25 hearings, and a hearing is defined as a 3 hour segment ... they would increase their compensation to $5,000 per month," the lawmaker said during the presentation.

The measure also explicitly authorizes the BOE to perform "mass corrections" — broad equalization orders affecting multiple parcels — rather than resolving appeals strictly one appeal at a time. The proponent said the wording aims to put the authority clearly into county code so future boards understand they may correct systemic errors without processing each appeal individually.

On evidence rules, the amendment adds a provision (section 9125.5) to accelerate the timeframe for assessment staff to upload supporting materials into an appeal. The proponent argued this gives homeowners time to evaluate assessor evidence and decide whether to proceed, reiterating that "the burden of proof is supposed to be on the assessor" under state statute.

Several committee members pressed for clearer thresholds or guardrails for "mass corrections," warning that vague language could allow overly broad application in future years. One member pointed out a likely clerical typo in the draft ("25" read inconsistently in the text) and urged a fix. The proponent said the draft is on its eighth revision and that clerical corrections could be made while establishing the baseline authority now.

A motion to perfect the ordinance and adopt the amendment was made and approved by the committee; the chair announced Budget will recommend Ordinance 6,011 to the legislature as a whole. The transcript records no roll‑call tally for the recommendation in committee.

Why it matters: The changes affect how quickly property appeals can be processed and how BOE members are compensated when workload spikes. Codifying mass‑correction authority could speed resolutions when widespread assessment errors occur, but committee members requested clearer thresholds so the power is not applied without adequate guidance.

What happens next: The Budget Committee will forward Ordinance 6,011 — as amended — to the full legislature for consideration.