Forty-six of West Virginia's 55 county assessors' offices have deficiencies in their operations that affect property values, according to letters mailed to those counties by the state Property Valuation and Training Procedures Commission.
The letters address deficiencies in the 2011 tax year. Similar letters were mailed to county assessors in 2011 for deficiencies in the 2010 tax year.
Most of the deficiencies noted in the letters signed by PVC Chairman Jeff Amburgey were in the area of real estate, which includes, for example, collection, computer entry and validation of sales data and uniformity between sold and unsold properties. Other areas reviewed by the PVC are mapping in conformity with statewide mapping procedures; drafting of maps in conformity with statewide drafting procedures; and evaluation to ensure that the appraisal-to-sales ratio meets acceptable standards.
Amburgey asked counties with one year of deficiencies to provide detailed written plans by Jan. 7 to address the deficiencies and come into compliance with PVC standards. Those counties include Brooke, Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Gilmer, Hardy, Jackson, Kanawha, Lewis, McDowell, Mingo, Monroe, Ohio, Pocahontas, Preston, Roane, Taylor, Upshur, Wayne and Wirt.
Those with deficiencies for the past two years also were asked to submit written plans. Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Hampshire, Hancock, Lincoln, Marshall, Mason, Mercer, Nicholas, Ritchie and Webster counties were ones which fall under that category.
Counties with three years or more of deficiencies were asked, in addition to filing written plans, to attend a Jan. 16 meeting in Flatwoods. Those with three years of deficiencies are Greenbrier, Marion, Mineral, Pendleton, Putnam, Tucker and Tyler.
Summers, Wetzel and Wyoming counties have four years of deficiencies. Those with five years are Barbour, Grant and Monongalia. No county had deficiencies for the past six years, and just one, Jefferson, had them for the past seven years.
The nine counties without deficiencies are Berkeley, Doddridge, Harrison, Logan, Morgan, Pleasants, Raleigh, Randolph, Wood.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WVNS. All Rights Reserved.
