Assessing Info Dec 20 2018

Toys 'R' Us demise has 'created a monster' as retailers scramble to fill the void >

There are elbows flying in the toy aisle this holiday season, but for once it’s not the parents sparring over the hot gadget of the year. Instead, it’s the retailers who are duking it out, each vying for the former customers of the now-defunct Toys “R” Us. Read more

Camp Fire property tax losses to hit outside burned area >

Jurisdictions outside the burned area of the Camp Fire are still going to get scorched by the flames, according to a report presented to the Board of Supervisors this week. But the state is being asked to cover the impact. Read more

Apple plans new $1 billion campus for Austin, Texas >

Apple Inc. said it will spend $1 billion to build a second campus in Austin, Texas, that will house up to 15,000 workers. Apple could be getting some incentives for the expansion in the form of a $25 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund, a source familiar with the matter said. Read more

IAAO NEWS

+ Early Bird deadline approaching for GIS/CAMA >

The 2019 GIS/CAMA Technologies Conference will take place Feb. 25-28 in Portland, Oregon and registration and the early bird registration deadline is January 2. The conference will have four program tracks this year: GIS Technologies, Modeling and Valuation, Planning, Administration & Leadership, and Technology Showcase. Among the areas for the conference include programs on how to get started with modeling, planning and Implementing a CAMA system, high-definition imagery for any size jurisdiction, special issues in valuation, and the Geospatial Data Act. Read more

+ Early registration open for 2019 annual conference >

IAAO Annual Conference prior to the end of 2018? IAAO has opened limited registration for the 85th IAAO Annual International Conference on Assessment Administration at the request of members who would like to pay for 2019 conference registration during 2018. Attendee and Guest registration is now available online or by using a paper form. The 2019 Annual Conference is scheduled for September 8-11 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Register today

+ Submit 2019 conference presentations ideas! >

Interested in presenting at the Annual Conference? The Call for Presentations is now open for the Annual Conference, set for Sept. 8-11, 2019. Submissions can be made at https://researchexchange.iaao.org/conference. The deadline for submission is Sunday, Feb. 10, but interested individuals are encouraged to submit your presentation ideas as soon as possible. Registration discounts of up to $200 may be available to presenters. Submit a presentation

+ Registration open for 2019 online 101 & 331 courses >

People interested in taking the online versions of Course 331 (Mass Appraisal Practices & Procedures) or Course 101 (Fundamentals of Real Property Appraisal) during 2019 can now sign up for the classes online. Three separate 331 courses will be available during 2019 and four classes of Course 101 will be offered. Register for 101 or Register for 331

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

+ Historic Miami church faces $7.1 million property tax bill for leasing space to a for-profit school >

The First Presbyterian Church of Miami faces a $7.1 million tax bill because the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser claims the church forfeited its religious exemption by leasing part of its property to a for-profit school. Read more

+ How property assessment went from townships to counties in Indiana >

After Judith Sharp had been in office as Monroe County assessor for just a month, she rattled decades-old traditions when she told attendees at a state conference that the township assessor system needed a shakeup. At the time, there were 1,008 elected officials performing property assessments that varied from township to township. Property taxes in Indiana are based on assessments by government officials. Read more

+ Managing millennials? Set aside your assumptions >

Many of us buy in to the myth that the millennial generation is entitled, demanding, and unprepared to deliver on real workforce challenges. In reality, millennials do not live up to this description — that is just a generalized story. Millennials make up 35 percent of the workforce, so it’s a critical business issue that we stop judging and start leading this group that makes up over one-third of our teams. Read more

+ Who may challenge an allegedly discriminatory property tax assessment? >

In Crowell v. David Cox, Assessor, Missouri’s Western District Court of Appeals this week reaffirmed that a taxpayer lacks standing to protest a property assessment made before the taxpayer owned the property. Read more