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to roll back big downtown property assessment cuts
The Pittsburgh Public Schools has gone to court to fight
the huge property assessment reductions awarded to three downtown
skyscrapers, including the U.S. Steel Tower, the city’s tallest
building.
The assessment on U.S. Steel Tower was slashed by $91.6
million for the 2023 tax year and by $81.2 million for 2022.
District officials filed appeals with the board of viewers
in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court to challenge the cuts approved by
the county’s board of property assessment appeals and review. Read more
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The proposal requests a study be completed to evaluate the
shortfall to the government if property tax were abolished and how the
missing revenue would be made up for. Read more
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IAAO NEWS
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Members ratify bylaw updates
IAAO members overwhelmingly
approved bylaws amendments during the recent special election that ended
on Feb. 9. The IAAO Board of Directors requested the membership ratify
additions to the IAAO bylaws that would allow the board to establish
councils and affinity groups.
The amendments passed with about 90% of the 1,307 votes in
the election, which took place from Jan. 25 to Feb. 9. Bylaw changes
must be approved by a majority of IAAO regular members casting ballots
and at least 5% of regular members must vote in the election to
constitute a quorum.
Imagery options focus of IAAO Feb. 21 webinar
IAAO's February webinar,
“Imagery Options Available for use in Desktop Appraisal Standard 3.3.5,”
will focus on the latest technologies in aerial imagery, some uses of
GIS for the assessor's office, street view imagery, artificial
intelligence, and how these tools can be used together to increase the
accuracy of an assessor’s cadastral maps.
The webinar will review how using these tools can increase
efficiencies and accuracy in desk review as outlined in the IAAO
Standard on Mass Appraisal of Real Property, section 3.3.5 - Alternative
to Periodic On-site Inspections.
The webinar will touch on some historical information on
how aerial imagery has progressed for assessors in the United States in
the past 25 years and what the future holds for some emerging technology
surrounding imagery and its current and future uses for assessors.
The webinar, set for noon Central on Wednesday, Feb. 21,
will be presented by Dan Lindgren and is eligible for 1.5 CEU hours. The
cost is $55 for IAAO members and $77 for nonmembers. Register here
Feb. 20 WIN’ing Conversations call to review Microsoft Office tools
Get ready to discuss time
management tips and organizational tools during the next Women’s
Initiative Network WIN’ing Conversations call at noon on Tuesday, Feb.
20.
Carmen Trammell, with the Leon County (Florida) Property
Appraiser's Office, will review Microsoft Office tools that can be used
for organizing your office, time, and life. For example, Microsoft
Outlook is not just used for scheduling meetings. Learn more about
setting reminders and organizing emails.
Additionally, Microsoft OneNote is a great tool for note
taking and keeping all your important information in one place. With
practice and knowledge, you can stay on top of your busy schedule and
get more done in less time. The call is free. Sign up here.
Conference registration opens in April, hotel block now open for reservations
Registration for the 2024
IAAO Annual Conference, Aug. 25-28 in Denver, is expected to open in
April, and members planning on attending can reserve a hotel room now.
The conference headquarters is the Hyatt Regency Denver at
the Colorado Convention Center. The conference room rate is $239, and
rooms are available to reserve at the IAAO conference rate. Reserve a room here. The cutoff to reserve a room is July 31.
More than 60 sessions are expected to be offered at the
conference. Session titles, times, and speakers will be available on the
2024 Conference Education Sessions page in the spring. Attendees should
have the opportunity to earn 10 or more credit hours.
Leap into the New Year with Launch Pad
In the early stages of your assessing career? Launch Pad is the group for you.
Join fellow early-career professionals in the field of
assessing and find out how you can engage with IAAO and invest in your
career.
Launch Pad is hosting periodic Zoom meetings for
discussions on personal growth, career advancement, problem-solving, and
getting the most out of IAAO membership.
All IAAO members are encouraged to join Launch Pad and
“leap” into the new year at the next meeting at 10 a.m. Central on
Thursday, Feb. 29. Online registration is now open.
Esri Canada Feb. 28 webinar explores blockchain technology and the assessment industry
Explore the transformative
potential of blockchain technology to power the assessment industry and
CAMA applications during a webinar by Assessment Analyst/Esri Canada, an
IAAO Strategic Partner.
By using blockchain, a transparent and secure property
registry, enabling unique digital identities for each property with
comprehensive ownership history and transaction data can be established.
Ultimately, blockchain technology challenges traditional
methods, promising increased transparency, efficiency, and inclusivity
within the property assessment industry.
The webinar, “Where Can Blockchain Technology Fit in
the Assessment Industry?,” will take place from noon to 1 p.m. Central
on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Register here.
Appraisal Foundation seeking candidates for Board of Trustees
The Appraisal Foundation is seeking candidates
to fill three public interest positions on its Board of Trustees. One
term is a three-year term, and two terms are four years. All terms begin
on January 1, 2025.
The Trustee Nominating Committee has highlighted a
need for representation from the following groups: Business Valuer, Fair
Housing Advocate, International Valuer, Personal Property Appraiser,
and Residential Real Property Appraiser.
The Board of Trustees provides financial
support and oversight to the Foundation's two independent boards, the
Appraiser Qualifications Board and the Appraisal Standards Board.
The board meets twice a year, and, while trustees are
reimbursed for travel expenses, they are not compensated for their time.
Completed applications for Board vacancies must be
received by March 1. Contact Board and Councils Program Manager Arika
Cole at 202-624-3072 or via email at arika@appraisalfoundation.org with any questions about the application process.
GIS 101 for Assessors IAAO webinar is on March 6
What does CAMA and GIS
integration mean? Why is this important? What are the benefits? How do I
do it? What are the options? What do I need to know? How do I get
started? What are the trends in technology? What types of spatial
analysis are available? What can I use my GIS for?
If you're new to GIS and to integrating GIS and CAMA, this
session will cover the basics of how to get full value of your GIS from
integrating with your CAMA data to new analysis, visualization and
sharing capabilities — all to improve and better defend values with
technology you probably already have. The webinar, “GIS 101 for
Assessors” is set for noon Central on Wednesday, March 6. It will be
presented by Linda Foster and Lauren Voelker and is eligible for one CEU
hour. The cost is $55 for IAAO members and $77 for nonmembers. Register here.
Mobile technology focus of Data Cloud’s March 20 webinar
The demand for enhanced data
collection tools and heightened data quality is becoming increasingly
critical to all aspects of appraisal operations and Data Cloud
Solutions, an IAAO Strategic Partner, will be reviewing it during a
webinar, “Enhancing Every Facet of Your Appraisal Operation through
Mobile Technology,” on Wednesday, March 20 at 1 pm (Eastern).
A well-designed and fully integrated mobile solution not
only increases productivity but greatly improves data quality resulting
in more consistent and predictable values leading to fewer appeals.
In this session, Daniel Anderson, Founder of DCS, will be
leading a discussion on how mobile technology has improved not only
productivity for field staff but also improved overall operational
efficiency while lowering costs for hundreds of jurisdictions across
North America.
Topics will include optimized travel routing, instant photo
association, sketching, GIS maps and integrations, workflow management,
data validation and quality control, field location tracking, and
reporting. Register here.
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| MEMBER CONNECT CORNER
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IAAO Connect members are
discussing state legislatures, rising property values, and individual
caps on the assessed value. Read more
| AROUND THE INDUSTRY
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Expanding hospital presents questions for the tax assessor
For years, county officials and residents have been
concerned about the lack of property taxes paid by Great Plains Health
hospital, as the hospital continues to acquire more property around the
city.
Great Plains Health enjoys a tax-exempt status because
they operate as a non-profit. The exemption removes a significant
amount of tax revenues that support public schools as well as city and
county governments.
Nebraska state law classifies and exempts from
taxation property that is owned and used exclusively for educational,
religious, charitable, or cemetery purposes, when such property is not
owned or used for financial gain or profit. Read more
After Maui wildfires, opposition grows against vacation rentals
Proposed legislation in Hawaii would reshape the way
short-term rentals are regulated and allow counties to phase them out
completely over time.
Currently, 5.5 percent or 30,000 of Hawaii’s 557,000 total
housing units operate as short-term rentals, according to the University
of Hawaii Economic Research Organization’s “Hawaii Housing Factbook,”
published in June. Read more
No public access, so no tax break for $7.8 million island owned by religious group
A religious group that owns an island in British Columbia,
Canada, has lost its appeal of a decision denying a property-tax
exemption on the island’s assessed value of $7.8 million.
The Matsuri Foundation of Canada had sought the exemption
from the Property Assessment Board for 12.5-hectare Knapp Island as a
“place of public worship.”
In the original decision last year, the board found the
exemption did not apply because the foundation had not shown that the
public was invited to or had access to the island, and that its primary
use was therefore not public worship.
The foundation had argued the exemption should be given “on
fairness and equity grounds when compared to other similar properties
in British Columbia, the judgment said. Read more
If you can buy a ‘mansion,’ you can pay a tax for affordable housing, these states say
Washington state lawmakers last year dedicated a record
$400 million to the state’s Housing Trust Fund, which distributes loans
and grants to create affordable housing.
But that was only a one-time infusion, said Democratic state Rep. April Berg.
“What we heard from communities is that we need to know,
year over year, that we can actually start doing projects and money will
be flowing,” she said.
To create a long-term revenue stream, Berg has proposed
raising taxes on the most expensive real estate transactions, an
increasing nationwide trend sometimes dubbed a “mansion tax.” Read more
Seattle property taxes rank in top 5 most expensive among big cities
Everyone knows buying a home in Seattle is incredibly expensive. But keeping it isn’t cheap either.
The tax burden for Seattle homeowners is among the highest
for any large U.S. city. And along with home values, property taxes in
Seattle have skyrocketed over the past decade.
The median amount paid in property taxes by a homeowner in
Seattle was more than $6,800 in 2022, according to the most recent
census data. Among the 50 most populous U.S. cities, Seattle had the
fifth highest median property tax bill. San Francisco was No. 1, at a
little more than $9,000, followed by two other Bay Area cities, San Jose
and Oakland. Austin, Texas, ranked fourth highest. Read more
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Canton, Ohio
• Appraisal Analyst, Stark County Auditor See more
Brighton, Colorado
• Regression Analyst, Adams County Government See more
Fort Wayne, Indiana
• GIS Assessment Tech, Allen County Assessor's Office See more
• Senior Data Analyst, Allen County Assessor's Office See more
Titusville, Florida
• Sr. Director, Valuation Services, Brevard County Property Appraiser See more
• Director, Customer Service and Compliance, Brevard County Property Appraiser See more
Kissimmee, Florida
• Commercial Appraiser, Osceola County Property Appraiser See more
• Residential Field Appraiser, Osceola County Property Appraiser See more
Birmingham, Alabama
• Principal Real Property Appraiser, Jefferson County Commission See more
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