BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. – Susie Phillips, Union County chief appraiser and chairwoman of the Board of Assessors, convened the December meeting of the UCBOA on Dec. 27, 2017, at 1 p.m. at the county courthouse. Board Members Jack Parker and Jeff Carlin were present as was Amy Arrowood as secretary.

Parker requested a summary of building permits issued during 2017 at the Nov. 29 meeting. Arrowood presented the report, which stated that, through November of 2017, 162 housing permits (142 custom/20 spec) had been issued. According to the report, this is 19 more housing permits than were issued in 2016 (132 custom/11 spec) and that does not include December 2017 activity. Also included in the January to November 2017 summary were 16 mobile home permits and 24 commercial permits.

The report summarized building permit activity in Union County month by month back to 2002. Across the board, activity dropped off significantly in 2007 when the mortgage-backed security crisis and government-mandated relaxed mortgage lending guidelines caused near-Depression Era conditions in the United States. The report stated November 2017 activity was the highest in Union County since November 2006, as was evidenced by the supplementary spreadsheet.

In other business, Phillips informed the Board that the 2018 Union County budget had been approved by Sole Commissioner Lamar Paris, which included the Budget for the Union County Tax Assessor’s office. Phillips presented copies of the tax assessors’ budget to Parker and Carlin. Phillips stated that, beginning in January 2018, there would be monthly budget meetings, as requested by Laura Driskell, Union County director of finance, to more closely monitor activity affecting the budget.

Phillips asked for approval of the of the Union County 2018 Mobile Home Pre-Bill Digest values. The digest showed a fair market value (FMV) of mobile homes in Union County of $18,969,292. The Board approved the digest values. Phillips also asked for approval of the ACO summary (account corrections or errors and releases). The ACO summary was approved.

The tax assessor’s office has recently been considering a re-evaluation of real property in Union County. Phillips stated in the November 2017 UCBOA meeting that she had observed houses selling in Union County for significantly more money than what they are valued at in the tax schedules. She said that a proposal for re-evaluation was submitted during the week of Nov. 12, but Paris declined the proposal because he felt the price was too high. She said Gregg Reese, who submitted the proposal, had submitted another proposal which was still under review in the commissioner’s office. Phillips said she was going to set up a meeting with Paris and the UCBOA in January 2018 after the Christmas season was over. The plan, she said, is for Reese and Union County appraiser Larry Harkins to randomly check over 100 properties in Union County (land and buildings).

The next meeting of the UCBOA will be on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018.

 

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