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Torrance County assessor urges 'equitable disclosure' for commercial sales; chair expresses concerns
Summary
The county assessor's office asked the board to support equitable disclosure of commercial sales and income to improve valuations; Chair Schwebach raised concerns about business impacts and said he was not inclined to support the change without more analysis.
Assessor staff urged commissioners to back an "equitable disclosure" measure that would require disclosure of nonresidential sales and income information to the Assessor's Office to improve commercial property valuations.
Chief Deputy Assessor Linda Gallegos and Assessor Jesse Lucero described three appraisal approaches and argued that disclosure would help the office value income‑producing properties more accurately. "When you purchase your residential home, you have to disclose that value to the Assessor's Office," Lucero said, arguing commercial sales disclosure would create parity for business valuations.
Chair Ryan Schwebach raised practical concerns about requiring such disclosures and possible downstream tax effects on businesses. "I will not support that," Schwebach said during debate, citing worries about the broader business environment and the county's capacity to process commercial disclosures. The commission did not take a formal vote on the matter at this meeting but discussed whether to include the item among New Mexico Counties' 2025 legislative priorities.
