Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Administration Of Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee keeps assessor elections on separate schedule, citing reassessment timing
Summary
The subcommittee discussed an explicit exemption for county assessors in HJR0729, with members and the sponsor saying assessor election timing is linked to reassessment schedules and operational continuity, making a direct move difficult.
HJR0729 includes an explicit exception for county assessors, a decision lawmakers described as necessary because assessment schedules and the timing of tax-rate setting are tied to assessor-produced work.
When the chair asked whether staff could complete reassessments regardless of who occupies the assessor office, Majority Leader William Lambert said, "the assessor is elected to lead that process," and that changes in technology or assessment protocols can be set by the elected official. That, he said, makes midstream timing changes difficult.
Committee members also discussed primary mechanics for assessors. Lambert noted that assessor primaries often align with the presidential primary in some counties; he and representatives said counties can vary in whether they call primaries or use party caucuses for some offices. The subcommittee did not adopt a change to assessor timing and advanced the resolution with the assessor exception intact.
