Assessing Info FEB 4 2021

The pandemic remote-work revolution may be bigger than we think >

As a general rule of human civilization, we live where we work. More than 90 percent of Americans drive to work, and their average commute is about 27 minutes. This tether between home and office is the basis of urban economics. But remote work weakens it; in many cases, it severs the link entirely, replacing spatial proximity with cloud-based connectivity. What knock-on changes will this new industrial revolution bring? Read more

Ex-congresswoman flexes political muscle for a gym tax break >

Former congresswoman Lynn Jenkins implored Kansas legislators last week to deliver a property tax exemption to owners of private fitness clubs frustrated with city-owned or nonprofit organizations providing recreational services to communities. Jenkins said it’s inequitable for government to compel commercial fitness businesses to indirectly subsidize with property taxes the operation of YMCAs, community centers, and comparable tax-free gyms across the state. Read more

New Cook County property assessments shifting tax burden >

Cook County, Illinois, Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s attempts to fix a property tax assessment system continue to shift the tax burden away from homeowners and toward businesses. Late last year, the first-term politician completed his second round of reassessments, this time setting the value of individual properties for taxing purposes in the south and southwest suburbs. Read more

IAAO NEWS

+ GIS/Valuation Technologies Virtual Conference registration opens >

Registration is now open for the 24th Annual GIS/Valuation Technologies Conference, offered as a virtual event in 2021 because of COVID-19. The conference will offer programming and a series of optional workshops. Programs will be offered on Tuesday, March 23, through noon Thursday, March 25. Topics for the conference are GIS technologies, leadership development, and policy; modeling and valuation; and a partner track. Workshops will be offered on Monday, March 22, the afternoon of Thursday, March 25, and Friday, March 26. Registration is available through the conference site at http://www.urisa.org/valtech and the full schedule is at gisvaltech2021.sched.com. Read more

+ Nominations accepted for IAAO Awards, Fellows programs >

IAAO is accepting nominations for its Awards Program and Fellows Program through May 1. The Awards Program boasts 17 categories recognizing individual and organizational achievements in several areas, including publications, technical expertise, and service to IAAO. Award winners and Fellow selections are recognized at the IAAO Annual Conference. The Awards Program is a highly visible event and all IAAO members and affiliated organizations are encouraged to submit nominations. Fellow nominees are brought forth by the IAAO membership each year and submitted during the awards nominations period. Read more

+ Research Grant Program deadline is Feb. 12 >

IAAO is accepting research topics submissions for the 2021 IAAO Research Grant Program and IAAO members, along with students and faculty, are now eligible to submit proposals. The IAAO Research Grant Program, formerly the Academic Partnership Program, provides financial support to complete research in areas related to property appraisal, assessment administration, and property tax policy. Submissions will be accepted until Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. Read more

+ Help available for membership dues >

2020 has been a challenging year for every jurisdiction's budget. With this in mind, Vision Goverment Solutions and IAAO are offering the COVID-19 Membership Support Grant to provide greater opportunities for members to renew their annual IAAO Membership dues. The grant is available to a limited number of IAAO members whose jurisdictions are not paying membership dues because of budgetary restrictions. Download the form to apply for the grant to help pay dues. Read more

+ IAAO offering Workshop 151 in February >

IAAO will be offering Workshop 151 - Live Online National USPAP on Feb. 16-17. This workshop covers materials from The Appraisal Foundation, Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, which includes: definitions, preamble, ethics rule, record keeping rule, competency rule, scope of work rule, jurisdictional exception rule, and standards 1 through 3, and 6 through 10. Supplementary materials include The Appraisal Foundation Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). Please note: The Appraisal Foundation no longer allows this workshop to be used for continuing education, only qualifying education. Please check with your jurisdiction or state for their CE acceptance process, as it may vary from TAF policies. Read more

IAAO CONNECT CORNER

+ Hot Topic: assessment appeals >

IAAO Connect members are discussing questions about assessment appeals in various jurisdictions. Read more

+ RFP to appraise all real property in a county >

New Castle County, Delaware, is accepting sealed proposals from qualified bidders to establish a contract through negotiation to appraise all real property within the County. Read more

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

+ 'Unintended consequence': Electric department sales leaves schools $1.1 million short >

Rutherford County, Tennessee, schools officials want the city of Murfreesboro pay the district for an unexpected $934,000 revenue loss caused by the sale of Murfreesboro Electric Department. The deal gave the city $302.5 million in payments spread over 15 years. Read more

+ Connecticut lawmakers propose property tax on expensive houses, commercial properties >

The debate over property tax relief has reignited in Connecticut. Senate Democrats are leading the charge with a bill to shift the burden, but some would pay more. The proposal implements a state property tax on more expensive homes and commercial properties, but Republicans say this is not the time to raise taxes. Connecticut lawmakers have been debating property tax relief for years. The intent of the tax is to give a break to middle-class and poor families. Critics say relief is important, but say this is not the way to do it. Read more

+ Ohio county office finds hidden camera, investigation underway >

No criminal charges have been filed after a hidden surveillance camera was discovered in the wall of a safety building office in Miami County north of Dayton, Ohio, but the county prosecutor called the case a “despicable display of corruption and misuse of power.” Miami County Sheriff's detectives launched an investigation Dec. 9 after determining a covert camera likely was installed in 2015 by the then-county IT director. Read more

+ Ann Arbor institutes property tax exemptions for residents living in poverty >

Amid the financial hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ann Arbor, Michigan, is instituting new poverty guidelines to allow more low-income residents to seek exemptions from property taxes. City Council voted unanimously last week to approve the 2021 tax exemption guidelines, setting new income limits at 2.2 times federal poverty levels, and raising the personal asset limit from $25,000 to $50,000. Read more