Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Tax topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board authorizes RFP for commercial and industrial revaluation after assessor concerns
Summary
The Board approved issuing an RFP for commercial and industrial revaluation after assessors reported issues with prior work; staff estimated an RFP range of $700,000900,000 and recommended including a personal-property audit component.
The Meriwether County Board of Commissioners voted April 13 to issue a request for proposals for a commercial and industrial property revaluation after the Board of Assessors reported problems with previously contracted work.
Chief Tax Appraiser William Harris told commissioners that findings from the residential review identified more issues than expected, leading assessors to recommend a comprehensive approach for commercial property and a full countywide revaluation if warranted. Harris said similar recent RFPs in comparable counties closed in the low hundreds of thousands; he estimated a commercial/industrial revaluation alone could range from about $700,000 to $1,000,000, and recommended including a personal-property audit to capture unreported inventory and ensure equity across parcels.
Commissioners asked whether a revaluation would necessarily raise tax bills; Harris explained that a revaluation adjusts taxable values but does not by itself raise revenue unless taxing authorities choose not to lower millage rates to offset value increases. He also summarized the difference between aerial flyover identification (which finds new structures) and a full physical revaluation (which records measurements, pictures and cost-based valuations).
By motion of Commissioner Adam Worsley, seconded by Commissioner Gene King, the Board approved issuing an RFP for commercial and industrial revaluation. Staff and the Board discussed timing and the need for clarity on costs and expected yield but did not set a contract award timetable.
Why it matters: A revaluation can materially change assessed values across the county and has implications for equity among taxpayers and for millage-rate decisions. Harris said the last full revaluation was in 2008 and that a three-year cycle is common practice, meaning many parcels may not have recent physical reappraisals.
Next steps: Staff will prepare and issue the RFP for commercial/industrial revaluation and include recommended components; the Board will review proposals and consider award after the RFP closes.
