SB 16 concerning the elimination of elected township assessors has passed the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee by a 5 – 4 vote.
In its introduced form, the bill would transfer property tax assessment duties from elected township assessors and township trustees to the county assessor. It also provides that each appraiser that performs assessments on behalf of a county property assessment contractor must have a level two assessor-appraiser certification, and requires the department of local government finance to consider before approving the contract the contractor’s experience, training, and number of employees.
Township assessors, unsurprisingly, oppose the measure. Also among those opposing the measure was Republican Mike Young of Indianapolis:
Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, was among the lawmakers who voted against the plan, saying that it makes sense to eliminate township assessors in a small county with only a few thousand residents, but not in large counties like Marion.
There has been no evidence, he said, that there will be fewer errors or greater efficiencies when assessing duties are consolidated in the county office.
But Sen. Connie Lawson, the Danville Republican who is chairwoman of the committee and who authored SB 16, said the state needs to change, even if it costs more to hire additional professional employees to replace the elected assessors.
“If we have to put more money into the assessment system to get it right, then that’s what we need to do,” Lawson said.
The roll call vote doesn’t seem to be available yet on the General Assembly’s web site so I don’t know who else opposed the measure. The fiscal analysis is indeterminate as to whether this will actually save money, but it provides a nice summary of the township positions:
Currently, townships with a population of more than 8,000 elect a township assessor. Townships with a population between 5,000 and 8,000 may elect a township assessor if the legislative body of the township adopts a resolution indicating that a township assessor is necessary and the resolution is filed with the county election board. A township trustee in a township with less than 5,000 population serves as the township assessor. In 2000, there were 1,008 township assessors in Indiana, 827 of whom are trustee-assessors.
[tags]SB 16-2008, Kernan-Shepard, townships[/tags]
Well, it will ostensibly save the cost of however many township assessors there are. On the other hand, someone has to do the work, and what would the new all-powerful county assessor do but hire a ‘regional assistant’- one for each township. *sigh*
The thing that concerns me most is the idea that Daniels is attempting to create Imperial Cities at the county level. I can’t imagine that such consolidation will make for more responsive, more accountable government. I would expect it to become more distant and aloof.
And, call me cynical, but the vast majority of Indiana counties go Republican. My take on Marion County & Indy’s Uni-Gov is that it was an attempt to consolidate power for the Republicans against the growing Democratic numbers back in the 70s. This looks awfully similar.
I know, I know- I’m a Libertarian, so I’m supposed to support smaller government. Well, this isn’t smaller government. Cut state government by a department or two, or a budget by 10% if I am to be impressed on that count.
I live in a county where a neighboring township assessor assessed a bunch of homes below market value.
Hence, they’re paying less than they should, while I have to pay more to make up for it.
So I’m all for the assessors having to be … you know, qualified.
I’m for all politicians to be qualified for the positions they are running for: assessors, sheriffs, coroners. I’m also for consolidating assessment responsiblities in hopes that property assessments are consistant from township to township as well as county to county.
I find it interesting that this isn’t necessarily a Democrat/Republican split, since a Republican is listed as against it as well as for it.
Now if they’ll just eliminate the archaic township construct altogether then we’d really be on to something…
I see no reason to have assessors. In Wayne county they just hired a bunch of idiots from Indy, and these clowns never even set foot on my business property before raising the valuation 300%. When I went to appeal this misguided attempt at taxation, I tried to get the county to buy this extremely valuable property, and they said they knew it wasn’t worth anywhere near what the assessment was.
I believe this will bring more qualified appraisers into the field with less political connections. It will still be up to the propety owner to appeal the unfair assessments already in place.