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Supervisors and staff say state notice is confusing; county bears mailing cost
Summary
Board members criticized the state-mandated tax notice as difficult to read, and a supervisor said Jackson County paid $6,843.77 this year to mail the flyer (last year $6,389.65) even though it notifies residents about city and school hearings as well.
Multiple supervisors at the March 26 hearing described the statutorily required property-tax notice as confusing to the public and difficult for even legislators to read. One supervisor noted last year’s mailing cost to Jackson County was $6,389.65 and this year’s cost was $6,843.77, adding that the county bears that expense though the mailing covers city and school levies as well.
"Nobody can really read and understand what it says," the chair said of the flyer and the law that created it, urging staff to continue transparent outreach. Supervisors discussed the trade-off between transparency and cost and reiterated that cities and school districts also must hold hearings; the county’s hearing covers only the county portion of the combined notice.
Board members asked staff to maintain clear online posting of the proposed budget and to explain to residents how to read the notice columns that separate current and proposed rates for county, city and school levies.
