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Tax assessor: We value Sumner County




Tax assessor: We value Sumner County

Tax assessor: We value Sumner County

Over the past five years, Sumner County has experienced significant growth and home value appreciation.  As we enter the final year of our five-year revaluation program, the assessor’s office is statutorily obligated to accurately report the current market value of real property in Sumner County with the primary goal of fairness and equity.

The current market is valued at $15.8 billion with approximately 81,800 parcels.  The residential/agricultural parcels account for 88 percent of the total while commercial/industrial at 5 percent, business tangible personal property at 6 percent and exempt properties at 1 percent round out the parcel count.

Generally speaking, your home’s ad valorem value (at value for taxation purposes) remains constant throughout the five-year reappraisal period unless a physical change occurs to the property attributes, a land use change, or the value is changed through the appeal process.  

Therefore, the market value change captures five years of growth. It is important to note that the assessor’s office cannot generate revenue from the reappraisal.  After the citizens have the final voice through the appeals process, our office will calculate a Certified Tax Rate (CTR) that generates the same revenue as the previous year. The CTR will be presented to the tax assessing officials of the county and each municipality for consideration.  As the tax assessors, it is their responsibility to determine the level of services and revenue needs for the citizens of Sumner County and municipalities. 

A key component of the reappraisal is the public delivery of the data derived from the statistical analysis.  In the spirit of transparency and open government, the assessor’s office has developed a Public Information Campaign to help citizens understand the reappraisal process and how market value is reported. Our goal is a citizen-engaged reappraisal program and education is critical in empowering the citizens to be part of the process.  Through the Public Information Campaign, we will strive to present the complex statistical data results in a format that is easily understood.

The Public Information Campaign is comprised of six components designed to empower and engage the citizens of Sumner County. The first component is “Define the Problem.” It is important to clearly define the problem to avoid chasing shadows lacking substance and ultimately wasting valuable resources without delivering results.

Citizens, in general, have become more involved in government. The rise of citizen advocacy groups highlights the need for government to be proactive in eliminating barriers in sharing information. This is critical in building a bridge of trust between the citizens and their government. The assessor’s office should be void of any predisposition that could potentially cloud the intended objectives. 

While your assessor’s office is grounded as experts in mass appraisal through the education and operations, we understand that any appraisal (mass or single property) is an “opinion of value” and will strive to work with property owners to reach a mutually agreeable “opinion of value.” 

The second component is “Define the Objectives.”  What are we trying to accomplish with the public information campaign?  The primary objective is establishing a base of trust with property owners, which is accomplished with open government policies.  By empowering citizens with information and the tools to better understand the process, we open a quality line of communication where both sides speak from a position of intelligence.

The third component is “Define the Public.” The primary target is the property owners of Sumner County. All campaign plan deliverables are centered on the delivery of knowledge to the citizen. The tax assessing officials at both the county and municipal level will also benefit from the information as it defines their role and provides a clear understanding of the process.

The fourth component is “Define Media/Techniques.”  The primary deliverables are information and opportunity.  At this stage we delineate the various media, events, and activities to achieve the campaign objectives.  The information will educate and empower citizens with the opportunity to engage the reappraisal process.  This will be achieved through multiple venues: (1) social media/web presence, (2) print media, and (3) public meetings.

The fifth component is “Implementation.” The assessor’s office is currently booking Town Hall meetings, civil/community group presentations, and addressing local government meetings. We have reached out to every municipality and county commissioner encouraging them to host a Town Hall meeting in their respective areas.  Additionally, we have reached out to various civic/community groups encouraging them to host a meeting.  

We have also expanded the informal appeals process to include evening appointments.  These will be located at local libraries for citizens to request an informal review of their property value.  

The sixth component is “Evaluate the Impact.” Upon completion of the reappraisal and submission of the certified tax rate to the tax assessing officials, we will assess the impact of the campaign and work to identify the strengths and opportunities going forward.  

As we work together to the complete the reappraisal, we encourage and value citizen input. Over the coming months we will publish articles discussing key components of the 2019 Reappraisal.  Topics will include: Housing/Economic Outlook (February), Mass Appraisal Demystified (March), Hitting the Reappraisal Target (April), Appealing your Value (May), By the Numbers: Final Assessment of Reappraisal (June).

We have set up a special website for the reappraisal at wevaluesumner.com and a Facebook page at sumnerassessor for the latest information.  We are also building a “Frequently Asked Questions” or FAQ section for citizens to submit questions.  This will serve as an excellent source of commonly asked questions concerning reappraisal.   

John C. Isbell has served as Sumner County’s Assessor of Property since 2004.  Having earned state and national recognition in assessment administration and education excellence, John is currently a national instructor in Assessment Administration and Tax Policy as well as holding the Assessment Administration Specialist (AAS) and Tennessee Master Assessor (TMA).  He is also pursuing his PhD in Public Administration and Policy with research interests in tax increment finance, government accountability, and transparency.

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