Our Mission Statement
To compile an accurate, uniform, and timely Tax Digest that meets the requirements of the Georgia Department of Revenue and the State statue, and maintain current property records to include ownership, sales information and physical data, while providing excellent service to all our customers and performing our duties with the utmost professionalism
Our Primary Responsibilities
The county appraisal staff, as required by law, is responsible for the appraisal of all taxable property, real and personal, that the county Board of Assessors is required to assess. These appraisals shall be made in the manner and at the times required by law. The county appraisal staff shall be responsible for the proper maintenance of all assessment records and maps for the county in a proper and current condition, and the staff shall have custody of such records. The county appraisal staff shall be responsible for preparing annual assessments on all property required to be assessed by the Board of Assessors. Such assessments shall conform to the requirements of law and shall be turned over to the Board of Assessors for approval on the date requested by the Board. Each county appraisal staff member shall successfully complete at least 40 hours of training courses prepared and offered by the State Revenue Commissioner during each 2 years of tenure as a staff appraiser.
There are four divisions within the department: (1) Residential - responsible for appraising all improved and unimproved residential property and mobile homes; (2) Commercial - responsible for appraising all improved and unimproved commercial and industrial property, and multi-family property (four or more units); (3) Personal - responsible for appraising all business assets, boats, and airplanes; (4) Administrative - maintains current real property ownership records, supports other divisions with data entry and quality control, assists our walk-in customers in the office, and acts as liaison to the IT Department.
Beginning in 2011 all taxable Real Properties receive an Annual Notice of Assessment. The notices are usually mailed in May and the initial appeal period lasts for forty five days. Only Personal Property owners who have a change of value resulting from their return will receive an Annual Notice of Assessment. Those notices are mailed in May/June and also have an initial appeal period that lasts forty five days.
The month of July is usually filled with the annual surge of cards, letters and telephones calls in response to the notices. As in every other year, the entire office will be occupied with reviewing and answering the appeals of the taxpayers while continuing the day-to-day duties within each division.
Our department has a great responsibility and works hard to be fair and accurate. Being the recipients of so much "public input" in the form of appeals and questions places Good Customer Service at the top of our list at all times. "Our people are the best!"