Reassessment scuttled
In a rare show of solidarity, the Fayette County commissioners Thursday unanimously announced a decision to halt implementation of the county’s reassessment project, which had been slated to take effect on Jan. 1. During an impromptu morning press conference, each of the three commissioners said they were in favor of stopping the project. Commission Chairman Vincent Zapotosky said his decision was based on a general disappointment with the overall values and concern of adverse impact to county property owners. He added that the reassessment was coming at a time when government should be more conscious of people’s financial hardships.
Also citing the fact that the state still doesn’t have a budget and not knowing the potential burden that will be placed on school districts, Zapotosky said he couldn’t support the reassessment project.
“I feel at this time we should stop the reassessment,” Zapotosky said.
Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites said his decision was based on fairness.
“I have to be fair to all residents,” Vicites said.
He added that because the new assessment would be using a base year of 2008, and since that time there has been a downturn in the market, now is not the time to implement the project.
Vicites pointed out that he said from the beginning that he wouldn’t support the project if something in it were flawed. He said the fact that the market has taken a downturn that wouldn’t be reflected in the new property values is such a flaw.
“The economy is not good and the housing market is down,” Vicites said.
He added that because there are jumps in assessed values ranging from 50 percent to 150 percent, he doesn’t feel that is fair.
“When it was done in the past, it was in stable markets. I feel now it would not be fair to implement this reassessment. I will support stopping the reassessment as of today,” Vicites said.
Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink, who last week announced she wasn’t supportive of continuing with the project, said she is glad now that she has received support from her colleagues for her decision to halt the reassessment.
Zimmerlink said the state Legislature has enacted a study about how reassessments are conducted across the state, and that study will be completed in June 2010, which could lead to changes.
The three-year, $750,000 reassessment project would have taken the county from a base year of 2001 to a base year of 2008. The overall assessed value of the county increased 36 percent going from $4.387 billion to $5.967 billion. Overall, 60 percent of property owners would have seen either a reduction in their assessed values or no change.
With the announcement, the project is halted and property owners will have the same assessed value on their properties as they did last year.
Although the commissioners voiced their opposition to continuing with the project, they did not take official action and plan to do that at a special meeting slated for 9 a.m. Wednesday in the public safety building.
Zimmerlink pointed out that she wasn’t in favor of sending out a postcard to all property owners at a cost of $37,000 last week that listed the prior assessed value, the new assessed value, this year’s county property taxes and the proposed property taxes for next year. Vicites and Zapotosky supported the mailing.
The $37,000 cost of sending out the postcards was paid using money left over from a bond issue from the last reassessment that could only be used for reassessment costs.
Zapotosky pointed out that his decision to stop the project is in no way a reflection on the efforts undertaken by chief assessor James A. Hercik. Zapotosky said he originally wanted to wait until after the appeal deadline, which is today, to make a decision, but he decided to take action sooner based on a statement by Hercik that appeals could reach 10,000.
Hercik said there were 7,500 appeals as of Wednesday. There are about 78,000 taxable parcels in the county.
The county last underwent a reassessment that took effect in January 2003 that used a base year of 2001.
The announcement was made a day before the deadline to file appeals on the new values.
Although the commissioners have announced that they will not implement the reassessment, anyone wishing to file an appeal by today’s deadline that has not done so is asked to proceed.
Hercik said the assessment office in the courthouse and project office at 253 S. Mount Vernon Ave. in Uniontown are continuing to accept appeal forms.
Hercik said after the morning announcement by the commissioners to halt the project, employees did tell people not to file appeals for a short time. However, after concerns arose about potential lawsuits, a decision was made to accept appeals through today’s deadline. Any appeals that are being sent by mail must be postmarked by today.
“I have instructed all staff to continue to accept forms with the explanation that until the formal vote is to be taken next week, the process isn’t officially halted.”
Zimmerlink said county solicitor Joseph E. Ferens Jr. sent correspondence to the commissioners stating that anyone who was opposed to the proposed property value should still file an appeal by today’s deadline.
Hercik said initially that he was disappointed in the decision, but he added that all the work that has been done would not go to waste because new global-information system maps are being used. He said he would not proceed with the project based on the decisions. The first appeal hearings were slated to begin Aug. 11.
Hercik said his next step is to send out a mailer to all property owners informing them that the 2001 base year property value will still be used next year instead of the value they were sent on July 1.
By law, property owners can file an appeal to their assessed value each year by Sept. 1. Anyone wishing to file an appeal on that value but resubmit their appeal after receiving the notice.