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Resident urges delay of $138,000 Dean's LLC appraisal contract; board approves
Summary
At the July 21 Newton County Board of Commissioners meeting, a resident asked the board to explain procurement and due diligence before approving a $138,000 appraisal-services contract with Dean's LLC. County staff and the chief appraiser defended the vendor selection and the board approved the contract, noting the amount is spread over three years.
A Newton County resident urged commissioners on July 21 to delay approval of a proposed $138,000 professional services agreement with Dean's LLC, saying she could not find a public procurement record or a company web presence to justify the contract.
"Before Newton County approves a six-figure agreement for appraisal services, the public should understand what due diligence was performed," the resident said during the public-comment period, asking whether a competitive bid, request for proposals or other procurement method had been used.
The comment prompted discussion later in the meeting during the assessor's office presentation. Marty Kennard, the county’s chief appraiser, told the board staff has worked with Dean's LLC since 2021 to value business personal property across the county. He described the $138,000 figure as a three-year contract that is paid in installments — approximately $47,000 per year — and said Dean's personnel include former Georgia Department of Revenue staff who are experienced in valuation and compliance.
Commissioner Long said she had researched the firm and found evidence of its work with other counties and supported hiring the vendor, emphasizing that the contract amount is divided over three years. "For what we're going to be paying for this service, we are going to make times of over and mistakes and helping people," Long said, noting the software and vendor work will also help residents who have not applied for homestead exemptions.
The board voted to approve the agreements related to assessor services, including the Dean's LLC contract and a separate homestead-audit software purchase described as TruRoll; Kennard said TruRoll will cross-check homestead status against national databases to identify missing or potentially fraudulent homestead claims under recent state law changes affecting digest figures.
The resident who spoke had asked the board either to provide the procurement explanation that evening or delay action on the item. Commissioners and staff did not move to delay the Dean's LLC contract; the board approved the item as presented.
