Minutes 04-07-2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Dwane Brinson reviewed the collaboration process with the community as they move through the revaluation process. He stressed the value of involving the community. He said the methods to involve the community include: 1. Presentations to Chambers of Commerce, Friends of Downtown Chapel Hill, BOCC, etc. 2. Press releases through Orange County Public Affairs 3. Sales bank will be posted on the tax office website 4. Summary descriptions will be mailed with 2016 tax listing forms 5. Revaluation education videos on YouTube 6. Frequently asked questions brochure He also indicated that they will give clear instruction on how to file an appeal should a property owner need to do so. He also reviewed their revaluation goals, listed below: 1. Update 2009 real property tax assessments to reflect market value as of January 1, 2017 a. Ensure accuracy of records through field visits, questionnaires, etc. b. Build community support through collaboration and education 2. Capture building use data, i.e. commercial, residential, industrial and their subcategories a. Will allow tax office to better assist Economic Development and Chambers of Commerce with studies and analyses 3. Review exempt properties in Orange County a. Currently approximately $7 billion of exempt property in Orange County b. Important for Asset Management Services, Risk Management and the State's annually-required AV-50 report Dwane Brinson said when errors are found in the field, they are corrected in the current year, rather than waiting until 2017. Commissioner Pelissier asked the procedure for notifying property owners when an error is found. Dwane Brinson said many errors are being uncovered when the property owner returns the postcard. Additionally, some residents themselves report an error during a field visit to the property. Commissioner Rich asked about the Pictometry Sketch Check. Dwane Brinson said this is new technology about which he has only seen a presentation. He said it takes the Orange County assessment data and overlays it with the current aerial photos. He said when the assessment data and the aerial photos do not match up, a red outline will appear indicating the discrepancy. He reported that it will not be used for this revaluation. He added it is a great resource to allow for a more strategic approach to the revaluation process. Commissioner porosin said this revaluation is a critical test on how effectively residents are communicated with regarding this process. He said the additional information included in the 2016 annual listing mailing should be clearly indicated on the outside of the envelope or in some other obvious way that conveys that this tax bill is different. He said this will help prompt people to look at the mailing more thoroughly. He encouraged a grassroots effort to get the information out to residents directly at public venues such as community events, churches, arts and cultural gatherings, as opposed to just venues like the Chamber of Commerce. Commissioner porosin asked if additional staffing had been approved for this process.