Assessment Practices Survey Report Released for Inyo County

The State Board of Equalization (BOE) today released an assessment practices survey report on Inyo County.

Once every five years the BOE conducts a review of each county's property tax assessment functions to determine whether properties are being assessed properly and to identify areas where improvements should be made. Issued as an "Assessment Practices Survey," the report provides an overview of how well the duties of the assessor are performed and includes recommendations to correct assessment deficiencies and improve compliance with state law.

The BOE found that most properties in Inyo County are being assessed properly and the overall quality of the assessment roll meets the minimum standards required by the state to qualify for augmentation funds. However, the report provides 25 recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the assessor's operations. Included among those recommendations are the following:

• Ensure that only qualifying properties receive the applicable property tax exemptions.
• Review older possessory interest assessments to discover reappraisable changes in ownership.
• Bring the mandatory audit program to current status.

The review focused on the quality of the 2001-2002 Inyo County assessment roll, which contained 18,603 assessments having a total enrolled value of $2.458 billion.

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Note: A copy of the Inyo County Assessment Practices Survey Report is available upon request.