Clark County property owners have filed 7,130 appeals over their property value assessments, down from last year’s record number of 10,658. The number of appeals is also down from two years ago, when 8,302 were filed.
The Board of Equalization, whose members are appointed by the Clark County Commission, will begin hearing those appeals when it meets starting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31 in the Commission Chambers at the Clark County Government Center. The meeting is scheduled to last until 5 p.m.
All of the Board of Equalization hearings will be carried live on Clark County Television (CCTV). The board will meet numerous times throughout February. Other meetings, all starting at 9 a.m., are scheduled for Feb. 3, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 24, 25 and 29. These dates and times are subject to change and more meetings may be scheduled.
“These meetings are important to our citizens,” said Commission Chair Susan Brager. “I’m glad that we can air them live so that people can see how the assessments are made and how the entire system works.”
Commission Vice Chair Steve Sisolak agreed: “These meetings are held every year and I think it’s important that the public have an opportunity to see their government in action, to see how the process works,” said Steve Sisolak. “This is another step toward improving transparency in government.”
The Assessor’s Office is required by state law to mail out a “notice of value card” by Dec. 18 to the County’s 728,500 property owners, notifying them of the value placed on their properties. Property owners may appeal those values to the County Board of Equalization by filing an appeal with the Assessor’s Office. Those appeals had to have been received or postmarked by Jan. 17, 2012. If a property owner disagrees with a board decision, he or she may appeal by March 10, 2012 to the State Board of Equalization. An unfavorable ruling there may be appealed to the Eighth Judicial District Court. The Board of Equalization has five standing members and 11 alternates, each of whom is appointed by the Clark County Commission.
Many cases are resolved prior to the hearings based on the property owner providing relevant and verifiable sales or financial information that supports their position to the Assessor’s Office.
Of the appeals filed last year that went before the County Board of Equalization, the board ruled in favor of the County Assessor at a rate of two to one.
This is the third year in a row that CCTV is airing Board of Equalization meetings. CCTV is a government access television station available on Cox cable and CenturyLink in the Las Vegas area, CMA Access Channel 14 in Laughlin, and all over via videostreaming on the County website at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov.
CCTV also airs other government meetings live, as well, including those of the Clark County Commission, the UMC Board of Directors, the County Planning Commission, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, the Regional Flood Control District board, the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition’s Committee on Homelessness and Clark County coroner’s inquests.
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Clark County is a dynamic and innovative organization dedicated to providing top-quality service with integrity, respect and accountability. With jurisdiction over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and covering an area the size of New Jersey, Clark is the nation’s 14th-largest county and provides extensive regional services to more than 2 million citizens and 40 million visitors a year. Included are the nation’s 8th-busiest airport, air quality compliance, social services and the state’s largest public hospital, University Medical Center. The county also provides municipal services that are traditionally provided by cities to almost 900,000 residents in the unincorporated area. Those include fire protection, roads and other public works, parks and recreation, and planning and development.