Property tax frustrations on display in Fairhope

A feisty group of taxpayers got an opportunity to fire questions, complaints and marching orders last week to a panel of local and state officials on the still-simmering issue of property tax appraisals in Baldwin County.

The group of nearly 40 people had differing opinions Thursday on whom to blame for dramatic tax bill increases and record-setting numbers of appeals, but spread it around to lawmakers, state revenue staffers and the local appraisal department. It was the second of four forums on the subject, with two more scheduled this week.

Switching to annual appraisals in a big, diverse county such as Baldwin has proven to be a daunting challenge, even with the state takeover of the local Revenue Commissioner’s Office, said Alabama Revenue Commissioner Tim Russell, former mayor of Foley.

Property tax frustrations on display in Fairhope

What is the problem with annual appraisals? Frequent appraisals may not be best for you if property values are rising but if values are falling a 4 year cycle can cost you money.

If your house is worth $100K this year, you pay taxes on that. If it’s worth $200K next year, you’re assessed on that. With a 4 year cycle on appraisals, when your property value goes down, you’d still be paying taxes on the higher appraisal from 4 years ago.

The problem is with the overall tax rate, not the frequency of the appraisals.