IWF Property Tax Exemptions Conference Feb. 19, 2010
Department of Revenue's proposed Tax Exemption Board (breakout session)
This breakout session was attended by 29 participants. The first speaker was Jean Adler, Deputy Administrator of DOR's Division of State and Local Finance. She talked about the Department of Revenue's interest in modernizing the assessment system and the status of its proposal to transfer the assessment functions from the municipalities to the counties. After making that proposal, the DOR held meetings around the state and heard many objections to the proposal. As a result, they have dropped the counties proposal and instead are planning to encourage consortiums.
Jean introduced Jim Murphy, the Director of the DOR's Bureau of Assessment Practices. Since most in the audience were not assessors, Jim gave a general description of how real property, personal property and other property are assessed.
He described the proposed Tax Exemption Board which would be statewide, include personnel from the DOR and local assessors and provide guidance in granting exemptions. Also planned is a statewide database that would quantify all exempted property, the reason for the exemption and its value if it were not exempt.
The presentations were followed by questions and discussion.