The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners met November 27 and made
several decisions about how to respond to the findings and recommendations of Pearson's Appraisal Services concerning the 2011 County Revaluation:
- The Board agreed to extend the services contract of Pearson's and have Pearson's identify other neighborhoods where there may be major issues of inequity.
- The Board directed the County Manager to assign one of the County's General Managers to oversee the day-to-day operation of the assessor's office until a replacement for former assessor Garrett Alexander is appointed. (Manager Harry Jones named General Manager Bobbie Shields to assume temporary responsibility for the assessor's office).
- The Board agreed to have Pearson's Appraisal Service begin to rework all of the neighborhoods where it previously found major issues of inequity.
- The Board directed the County Manager to develop and oversee a process for addressing minor issues of inequity found in Pearson's report.
- The Board directed the County Manager to develop a work plan for the next revaluation which is not yet scheduled.
- The Board wants the Board of Equalization and Review (BER) to change its processes in accordance with findings of the Pearson's report. The Board will appoint a subcommittee to study what needs to be changed and make a recommendation to the full BOCC.
- The Board decided that it will appoint an all-new Board of Equalization and Review to handle formal appeals. Current BER members will be allowed to reapply for the positions.
- The Board instructed the County Attorney to investigation the implications and consequences of seeking a change in State law allowing reimbursement to taxpayers.
Much of the work ahead, expected to take as much as ten months, will be under the supervision of Pearson's Appraisal Service, which has the full confidence of the Board. The Board agreed to hire Pearson's after numerous complaints from property owners about inequity in their new value and improper response to their appeals from the Assessor's Office and the Board of Equalization and Review. Pearson's did a 16-week review of the revaluation. Here are its findings and recommendations.