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As I have traveled around
the 91st Assembly District hosting listening sessions, I have been pleased
to meet with many local officials. One of the main concerns I have heard
from council and board members attending listening sessions throughout the
91st Assembly District relates to the proposed change from the Department of
Revenue (DOR) dealing with County wide property assessments. As many of you
know, the DOR had a proposal which sought to conduct property value
assessments at the county level.
I am pleased to report that the DOR has dropped this proposal. Instead the
DOR is pushing an alternative “assessment modernization plan” which would
allow local municipalities to pool their assessments with each other. The
DOR has stated that the "assessment modernization" plan would still meet the
goal of reducing the number of assessment districts throughout the state and
also provide consistent property valuation standards statewide. "We're going
to go with more of a consortium model, where towns can pull together in
their own consortiums and try to achieve some economy of scale in their
assessment services, said Linda Barth of the DOR.
Barth said the plan and decision to drop the county-level model grew out of
feedback from town hall meetings across the state. My office did take the
time to contact the DOR to keep updated on this issue and to express views
that I have been hearing in the district. The DOR reports that their
proposal will maintain the original plan's recommendation to eliminate the
state-level equalization process and bring all property assessments to
full-market value. I am hoping local officials will provide me with some
feedback as to their thoughts on this newly proposed change. Clearly, the
idea of countywide assessments was not popular in my district or throughout
the state and I want to hear what you think about this new proposal from the
DOR.
Barth stated that although time is growing short in the legislative session,
the DOR is hoping to get a bill drafted and in front of the Legislature
before the body adjourns for the year. With that being said I am hoping to
hear from you on this important issue. As a legislator representing the 91st
district, the opinions of the officials at the Department of Revenue are
less important and hearing your opinions and thoughts on the Department of
Revenue’s new proposal is what matters to me. Please be in touch on this and
other legislative matters.
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