On a chilly Sunday evening in February, 300 residents of Bozeman, Montana, gathered at a church to discuss an issue splitting the town of 54,000: a ban on whole-home short-term rentals.
   The room was tense, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported. Some attendees wore shirts demanding “House the People,” a response to the explosion of short-term rentals in the city, which is 80 miles southeast of Helena, the state capital.
   Attendees also took turns shouting at the four city commissioners present.
   “We need you to move with the urgency and fire that we feel every day,” said Emily LaShelle, a member of Bozeman Tenants United, the group that organized the event and is rallying the town around the permanent ban. Read more

Board election information available; filing deadline is July 1
  Members interested in running for the IAAO Board of Directors should submit candidate materials by July 1. Check out the Elections page on the IAAO website for more information and forms needed to submit.
   Regular members in good standing will be able to vote electronically from Nov. 1-15, for the Regular Board Member and Officer positions. Read more

 

May 16 WIN Task Force call: ‘How to Say No’
   “Time is Non-refundable” and “How to Say No” are the topics of the upcoming IAAO Women’s Initiative Network Task Force call at noon Central on Tuesday, May 16.
   The WIN Task Force is offering a series of interactive virtual presentations. Opal Hudson and Beba Sheehy, both with the Hillsborough County (Florida) Property Appraiser's Office, will join Tiffany A. Opheikens, RES, to lead the next "Women's Initiative Network (WIN): WIN'ing Conversations" discussing the two topics, "Time is Non-refundable" and "How to Say No."
   The event is free, and all are welcome. Register here

 

‘Eight Mistakes to Avoid on Model Development Process’ is topic of May webinar
   IAAO’s May 31 webinar will discuss eight mistakes that jurisdictions should want to avoid when designing a model development process.
   The webinar will help attendees understand best practices in how to configure systems for mass appraisal model development.
   The webinar, set for noon Central on Wednesday, May 31, will be presented by Josh Myers and is eligible for 1.5 CEU hours. The cost is $55 for IAAO members and $77 for nonmembers. Register here
 
Building high-performing teams focus of 2023 Emerging Leaders’ Summit
   Registration is open for the 2023 Emerging Leaders' Summit, “Building High-Performing Teams.” The ELS is designed to provide a powerful professional development opportunity for emerging leaders in the assessment industry.
   The program will be presented in three parts: webinars on July 18 and Aug. 15, and an in-person session at the IAAO Annual Conference in Salt Lake City on Aug. 29. Data Cloud Solutions, a Woolpert Co., will sponsor materials.
   The third session will be recorded for those unable to attend. More information is at www.iaao.org/els.
 
Register for Mass Appraisal Valuation Symposium
   Registration is open for the virtual Mass Appraisal Valuation Symposium, set for June 21-22. The International Property Tax Institute (IPTI) and IAAO will present the virtual symposium covering “Valuing Properties in Uncertain Times.” Tyler Technologies is sponsoring the event.
   Registration information is available at www.iaao.org/mavs23.

 

Conference schedule released
  The list of sessions that will be offered at the 2023 Annual Conference is now available.
  The list, included in the May issue of “Fair+Equitable,” is also on the conference section of the website. More than 60 sessions are noted with session titles, speakers, and times. Please note, however, that the schedule is subject to change.
   Separately, IAAO is accepting submissions for the Exhibitor Showcase at the 2023 Annual Conference, Aug. 27-30 in Salt Lake City and the submission deadline is June 21.
   The Exhibitor Showcase is an opportunity for conference exhibitors to provide live demos in a dedicated space just off the Exhibit Hall. Sessions will be 60 minutes long and will follow the start times of the education sessions on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. See the Showcase page for more information.
   Registration for the conference and reservations at conference hotels can be made. Attendees needing financial support to attend the conference can apply for scholarships, including the IAAO Diversity & Inclusion Conference Scholarship and the Barbara Brunner Scholarship.
   Check out the scholarship page on the site for more information.

 

IAAO taking comments on revised communications standard
   A revised standard on communications has been released for 30-day exposure to members and comments will be accepted until May 18. The revised standard, Standard on Communications and Outreach, replaces the 2011 Standard on Public Relations and is a complete revision.
    The Standard examines the need for a well-planned, strategic communications program that provides practical recommendations for successfully implementing and maintaining information and communication with the public through proven marketing techniques and tools.
   Comments on the standard should be sent to IAAO Assessment Advisor Shannon Hiss, RES, RMA, at hiss@iaao.org.

 

 

French MPs: Tax Airbnb rentals more
   A group of MPs are pushing for regulations against short-term home rentals in France on websites such as Airbnb.
   They say such tourism rentals are fueling a housing crisis in parts of France.
Urging the government to act, the cross-party group of MPs have put forward seven proposals to crack down on the practice. Read more
 

‘Property Purgatory’: How a tax loophole leaves some Rockford properties left to decay
   From the outside, the two-story cream-colored house on Fourth Avenue doesn’t look like it would inspire the ire of city officials.
   Sure, there are a few busted windows and overgrown weeds, but there are far more decrepit properties in the city.
   City officials, however, say the vacant home exemplifies how a loophole in the state’s delinquent tax sale system traps properties between abandonment and new ownership. Read more