By Ryan Lewis
Correspondent
JASPER, Tenn. — When state property assessors started work in Marion County recently, county commissioners began receiving calls from outraged citizens.
“I’m getting jumped all over about it,” Commissioner Thomas Thompson said.
Mr. Thompson said the value of many properties in the county has been appraised far beyond what those properties would sell for on the market.
“It’s a no-brainer that they are doing that to people,” he said.
Commissioner Donald Blansett said a resident on Suck Creek Mountain had a 1,600-square-foot house valued at $135 per square foot, or about $216,000.
“There’s no way that house is worth that,” he said. “There’s no way it should be appraised for that. We’re seeing some prices go up on these homes that are way higher than what they are actually worth.”
“I’m not too happy with the reappraisals myself,” Marion County Mayor Howell Moss said. “I haven’t talked to anybody who is. Land values are not going up right now, they’re going down.”
State officials explained that property reappraisals are done on a four-year cycle. The fact that market value may be down in the last year or so doesn’t mean the properties haven’t gone up in value over the course of the entire four years.
In April, county commissioners discussed what they could do to help with the overvalued assessments from the state and how residents could help themselves.
“I don’t think we need to sit back and take it lightly,” Mr. Thompson said. “We need to complain to somebody. Maybe we should make a resolution to say we’ve had enough of this.”
Mr. Moss said there are several important things residents need to know.
“Our local assessor does not do this,” he said. “The state does. These assessments … are supposed to be on what properties have sold for in the county, and I can assure you that they are way above what property is selling for in the county right now.”
He said the county and the municipalities do not make any money from the reappraisals.
“What we have to do is roll our tax rate back where it brings in the same amount of money,” he said. “Where you get hurt on that is, if you own a piece of property that has its value tripled, you’re probably going to pay more taxes.”
Marion County Attorney Billy Gouger said even if a resident’s complaint fails at the county level, the issue is not dead.
“If you go through the county equalization board process and you’re not satisfied, you can go before the state equalization board,” he said. “So (the county board is) not the final say.”
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.
HOW TO APPEAL
Residents unsatisfied with property assessments can appeal to the county equalization board. Call the property assessor’s office at 423-942-3494 to make an appointment. Hearings are to begin in June.