Board of Assessors React to New Tax
During the Jasper County Board of Tax Assessors’ (BOA) regular monthly meeting Tuesday, which had been delayed for two weeks to enable the staff to decipher new tax laws, the BOA discussed the new legislation at length.
The first one was House Bill 233, which the governor hasn’t signed and could veto, but the opinion of the BOA was this wasn’t likely, and if it is not signed in 40 days it immediately becomes law.
This bill basically states for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 digests, no inflationary increases are allowed, and basically freezes the value of property for the next two years. The only exceptions would be additions, improvements or rezoning. This will not hinder the BOA for the 2009 digest as there were no increases recommended.
The consensus of the BOA was that it would be interesting to see where property values stand at the end of this period, and hopefully property owners will not be hit with large increases to make up for no changes over the next couple of years. It will depend on how quickly the market recovers from the current recession.
The second legislative change is Senate Bill 55, which the governor has signed and is now law. This law addresses three points: For 2009 only, the application time for the Forest Land Protection Program and the Conservation Use Assessments will be extended to June 1. The BOA voted to advertise this in the newspaper: Assessment notices must be sent if a value goes up or down, which has always been done.
The following paragraph has been added to the criteria that must be considered when determining fair market value—foreclosure sales, bank sales, other financial institution owned sales, distressed sales, or any combination thereof, of comparable real property and decreased value of the property based on limitations and restrictions resulting from the property being in a conservation easement.
The BOA has been given no direction on how to properly use these type sales and still achieve the required ratio numbers. The Department of Revenue and the Department of Audits and Accounts have both basically told them, “We just don’t know yet,” said Chief Appraiser Lynn Bentley.
The bottom line is that the BOA will leave decreases already done in place, but no new decrease, and no new increase for 2009.
The next item on the agenda concerned Personal Property Returns Freeport exemptions, which is where business asks for tax relief on raw materials and finished goods held for 12 months. The BOA approved these exemptions for Feldspar, Hooper Trailer, Poly Tech, Tomkins Industries, Permatherm, three Georgia Pacific Companies, Metzger Moore and Combined Arms Training Systems. The exemption was rejected for HMH Management.
Also under Personal Property Returns were Exceptions/Requests. The request from Sundown Collision, which was closed on July 31, 2008, was approved. The request from Feldspar was for the pollution control exemption, which was denied because of lack of a certificate from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
The request from Georgia Pacific Plywood for assets that remain idle as of January 1, 2009, was approved with the exception of Group Three equipment that was also denied last year. The request from the Georgia Pacific Stud Mill for economic obsolescence consideration for all assets currently in operation was denied for the same reason.
Next on the agenda were Real Property Returns, which is where property owners are allowed to submit their own version of their property value for which 108 requests were made. The BOA approved the change of approximately 50 percent of these requests, and all property owners will receive an assessment notice whether a change was made or not.
All Homestead Applications presented were approved by the BOA. The Error And Release Forms, which address changes from previous Fair Market Value to Current Fair Market Value, were approved in six cases concerning mobile homes.
Under Conservation Preferential Applications the applications of Nancy Benton, Luann Orchowski, John Hicks, Kathie Wyatt, Harold and Donnis Drumgole, and Ron and Reggie Bell were all approved.
Under Conservation Timber Applications, 32 applications were approved. The application of Larry Smith, who is a board member, was approved with Mr. Smith abstaining. The application of Lanier Edwards was denied due to the parcel only being 49 acres.
Conservation Renewals, Conservation Continuations and new conservation applications were tabled and will be considered at a special called meeting next Monday, April 27.