Davis office to aid property owners

FARMINGTON — Davis County commissioners Tuesday announced the creation of a new department to help property owners through the property-value appeals process.

The Tax Administration Department, modeled on a similar department in Salt Lake County, is designed as a more efficient way to handle the thousands of appeals submitted to the county's Board of Equalization every year.

By September 2008, Davis County received nearly 6,000 appeals to property values after completing valuations of all 93,000 parcels.

As of Tuesday, the Board of Equalization, which consists of the three county commissioners, was still working through some of the final appeals.

Property valuations for 2009's property taxes are expected to be mailed to property owners Friday.

Starting Monday, the Tax Administration Department, headed by Ross Bartholomew, can begin addressing valuation concerns from property owners.

Bartholomew, who has served as chief deputy to Davis County Treasurer Mark Altom for the past 11 years, said he expects a large number of appeals in Davis County during the 45-day appeal period.

But, Bartholomew said, he will have a staff of three or four experts who know the appeals process and who will be available every weekday to handle concerns. And they plan to schedule any appeal hearings within two weeks, with a goal of having most appeals addressed by the end of the 45-day appeal window, which closes in September.

That's different from the previous process, in which property owners who contested their property values registered an appeal with the Davis County Clerk/Auditor's Office and also spent time talking with appraisers in the Davis County Assessor's Office.

That drew time away from appraisers, who have other responsibilities.

"We're looking at ways to speed that up and make it more efficient," Bartholomew said.

Davis County Clerk/Auditor Steve Rawlings said he supports the new system, because changes needed to be made to the appeals process.

"I don't think we could have a better person as a tax administrator than Ross Bartholomew," Rawlings said.

e-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com

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