Mike Wilson's Report re: GA Dept of Revenue Performance Review

Dear Winston,

I want to give you a brief report on my meeting with the Georgia Department of Revenue which had a three man team here to perform a performance review of the Camden County Assessor's Office. The meeting took place at 3:00 PM Tuesday, November 3rd at the renovated courthouse. I explained to the team that I was representing the Camden County Watchdog Group per your request.

After a round of introductions, I provided the team the correspondence you had received from the membership and I showed them the petitions, with the hundreds of signatures, asking that something be done about the inequitable 2009 assessments issued from the Camden County Assessor's Office.

Prior to allowing me to present our case, the team leader told me that they were not interested in individual cases or appeals and that they wished to focus on facts with which they could ascertain the overall performance of the assessors office; fairness in assessments and communication and follow-up with the property owners.

I presented a map of the St. Marys area with the various areas of the City identified. I handed out spread sheets which showed assessed values of improved properties (land with house) for each area with value of land, total property value, change since last assessment, land value as a percent of total, with a calculated average for each area. I also presented a poster board for each area with multiple photos of representative properties and assigned assessment values (land, improvements, accessories), relative lot sizes and cost per square foot of heated living space. I pointed out many obvious discrepancies in the assessments due to a variety of factors. I reported on one large tract of property (nearly 40 acres) in a very desirable area located between, but contiguous to, two developed areas in which the total assessed land value of the tract was less than any individual lot in the surrounding developed areas. It was quite an eye opener.

Unfortunately, I only had a half hour to make our presentation, I literally could have filled a four hour time slot. But it was clear to me that we made our case that there are significant problems in the Assessor's Office.

As time ran out I provided feedback regarding the communication and responsiveness of Assessor's Office. I reported that I knew of many property owners who submitted Returns at the beginning of the Assessment cycle. I knew of no one who received an opportunity to have their Return addressed. Further, I knew of many of the, 17% county wide and 22% city wide, taxpayers who appealed their property assessments, and I was only aware of one instance of a decision being rendered by the Assessor's Office.

I thanked the team for the opportunity to address them on behalf of the Camden County Watchdogs and stated that I would be happy to provide any of our information to the Assessor's Office.

Sincerely,

Mike Wilson