The grand jury was particularly critical of the way the county
assessor’s office handles requests for reassessing residential
property, calling the procedures
”
confusing and antiquated.
”
School safety, the antiquated process for conducting property assessments, and annual reviews of the county jail and juvenile hall are among the 10 topics addressed in the annual San Benito County Civil Grand Jury report, scheduled to be published in the next week or so.
Since last September, 19 jurors have investigated public complaints and concerns about governmental agencies, with the goal of recommending remedies to any problems found.
“We make recommendations that we feel should be addressed,” said Patrick McKenzie, foreman of this year’s grand jury. “(Agencies) respond to those recommendations – whether they agree with them and will do something about them; disagree with them; or they say they can’t deal with them due to budget issues. The power of the grand jury lies in the fact that you have a public record of their responses. It’s putting them on the record.”
Outdated assessment procedures
The grand jury was particularly critical of the way the county assessor’s office handles requests for reassessing residential property, calling the procedures “confusing and antiquated.”
The ongoing recession has resulted in the reduction of property values, prompting a number of requests for the assessor’s office to review its valuation of property. Lower assessed valuations result in lower property taxes.
According to the grand jury report, such requests are “filed in an overflowing plastic file envelope stapled to the office wall.”
“There is no contact with the homeowner after he/she signs the yellow legal pad as directed by the office staff,” the report said. “The homeowner is left to believe that something is being done, when little or nothing is being done.”
What’s more, the report notes, the selection of properties to be reviewed is arbitrary and assessors do “limited visual inspection.”
According to the report, the assessor’s office claims the department “lacks the time and resources to return calls or give written notification to each inquiry or request from property owners,” thus creating a three- to four-year backlog of assessment review requests.
There is also at least a four-year backlog of assessment appeals being reviewed and brought before the county board of supervisors.
The grand jury recommends that the assessor’s office streamline its processes and “establish a more professional and data-based process for the reassessment of property value.”
Property owners who come into the office requesting an assessment review should be given guidance and/or the appropriate appeals forms rather than simply signing a piece of paper, the report said, and there should also be “timely follow-up contact” by the assessor’s office.
The assessor’s office’s response is expected to be included in the grand jury’s final report.
Look for other Grand Jury recommendations and a full story in the Pinnacle.
