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Assessor asks Assembly to allow 90‑day response window to speed exemption reviews
Summary
The assessor proposed changing the annual certification process to a 90‑day rolling response window and modestly enlarging audit capacity; staff said the combination could cut the backlog‑completion estimate by about two years.
Assessor’s staff told the Assembly they want to change municipal practice so that when the department requests an annual certification it would ask property owners to respond within 90 days. The goal is to reduce prolonged follow‑up that consumes staff time and prevents the division from working through older cases.
“We're recommending the to change the code to a 90 day response for the annual for certification,” an assessor official told members. Under the current approach the March 15 annual certification deadline concentrates responses late in the season and forces staff to spend months tracking filings; the proposed rolling 90‑day deadline would allow staff to make determinations earlier in the year and move on if an owner does not respond.
Staff also proposed upgrading two position descriptions to allocate substantially more time to exemption audits. With those staffing changes and the 90‑day response, presenters estimated they could shrink the calendar projected completion from 2032 to about 2030.
Presenters cautioned that the 90‑day change is designed to encourage timely cooperation rather than to permanently bar applicants: an owner who misses the 90‑day window could still file a standard application by the March 15 deadline and preserve eligibility for the following tax year, but the department would reserve the option to stop extended outreach and move to other reviews.
Assembly members raised concerns about imposing a shorter response window without adequate outreach; staff recommended pairing the rule change with technical assistance and clearer guidance so applicants are not disadvantaged by process changes.
