Assessment Practices Review Panel - St. Louis County
Assessment Practices Review Panel - St. Louis County
Assessment Practices Review Panel - St. Louis County
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
4.4 Concluding remarks<br />
The <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Louis</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Assessment</strong> <strong>Practices</strong> <strong>Review</strong> <strong>Panel</strong> thanks the <strong>County</strong> Board for<br />
the opportunity to serve on this panel. The panel composition was a balanced<br />
representation of interests and expertise and included local assessors, real estate<br />
appraisers, local government and business representatives. The panel members showed a<br />
great dedication and commitment with an on average attendance of 90% over the course<br />
of this process.<br />
The panel worked diligently over a period of nine months (June 2011 through February<br />
2012) and met for nine bi-weekly meetings during the fact-finding phase. During this<br />
period a number of speakers were invited to present information, including the <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Louis</strong><br />
<strong>County</strong> Assessor, <strong>County</strong> Planning/ <strong>County</strong> Geographic Information Systems (GIS),<br />
<strong>County</strong> Auditor’s Department, Scott <strong>County</strong> Assessor’s office, Minnesota Department of<br />
Revenue, Minnesota <strong>St</strong>ate Board of Assessors, Assessors of Minnesota Cities and<br />
Townships (AMCAT) and the City of Duluth assessor. Following this, the panel held four<br />
meetings in November and early December to discuss their findings and formulate<br />
recommendations. The panel met once in January to discuss the draft report and had their<br />
final meeting to review and approve the final report on February 8, 2012.<br />
The panel members pride themselves in the due diligence they have shown in carrying out<br />
their task and the open debate. As a result of the fact finding and deliberations, they have<br />
become even more aware of the complexities of the current mixed assessment system. In<br />
formulating their recommendations they have focused on their assigned charge to achieve<br />
a TUF assessment system. The panel members believe that the majority recommendation<br />
will do just that, move <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Louis</strong> <strong>County</strong> toward a Timely, Uniform and Fair assessment<br />
system that, in turn, will equitably distribute the property tax burden. The panel members<br />
recognize that a decision to make changes to the current system have to be evaluated<br />
within a broader context. The panel members understand that such a recommendation<br />
needs to be implemented within a broader context and respect the decision the <strong>County</strong><br />
Board will make based on the information and findings presented in this report.<br />
<strong>St</strong>. <strong>Louis</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Assessment</strong> <strong>Practices</strong> <strong>Review</strong> <strong>Panel</strong> Draft Report February 2012 Page 35