All Georgia Property Owners Will Get Value Notices

All Georgia Property Owners Will Get Value Notices (Added: April 27, 2011)

It happens every Spring in Georgia...Tax Assessors notify property owners there's been a change in their property values, but a change in state law has ramped up the work for these offices, as they mu (more)

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All State Property Owners Will Get Value Notices

It happens every Spring in Georgia Tax Assessors notify property owners there's been a change in their property values, but a change in state law have ramped up the work for these offices as they must send notices to all property owners even if their values did not budge. Channel 6's George Eskola has the story.

By: George Eskola | WJBF News Channel 6
Published: April 27, 2011

Augusta, GA --

After five years in her home on Cardinal Road in Augusta, Magda Newland has never received a notice of a property value change but she understands if one comes this year.

“I think the city needs to do that, that's the revenue they depend on. They should only let me know if mine goes up,” she said.

But this year, Newland will be getting a letter from the Richmond County Tax Assessors Office, as will every property owner in Augusta, regardless if their property values go up, down, or stay the same.

It's the result of a new state law that will wear out the letter carriers.

The law mandates Tax Assessors Offices across Georgia send notices to property owners even if their property values do not change.

Last year, Augusta’s Tax Assessors Office mailed out 33,000 notices. The majority of those were for increases in values.

This year, the Tax Assessors Office is looking at mailing out 80,000 notices.

And, the office has no extra workers to handle the load.

“We must do more with less, but there's a level of expectation that I can only achieve so much without having the resources,” says Chief Appraiser Alveno Ross.

Under the law, the notices will also include an estimate of the taxes owned, but city officials say that could be misleading to taxpayers.

“So, we're actually sending out information that's going to be based on data that's about a year old. It's one of the things that's going to help confuse our citizens,” says City Administrator Fred Russell, who is no fan of what he calls this unfunded state mandate.

After assessment letters go out, residents have 45 days to appeal. Last year, there were about 2,000 appeals.

But, with 80,000 notices this year Ross has no clue how many additional appeals the office will see.

“An educated guess, a lot more people,” said Ross.

The city budgeted $125,000 to help comply with the new law. That will cover the additional costs of paper and postage, but Ross isn’t sure that will be enough.

The notices are set to hit the mail May 13^th.