Step by step, Jones County Commissioners have worked their way through a process that will eventually bring the county’s property values back in balance.
The removal of members of the Board of Tax Assessors, who were ultimately responsible for the operation of the tax assessors office, was completed last week, with the revaluation of all Jones County’s 6,000 properties the next big step.
Superior Court Judge Amanda Petty presided over a March 19 hearing that was the final opportunity for two remaining members of the previous JCBTA (Jones County Board of Tax Assessors) to state their case to remain on the board.
The hearing lasted more than three hours, and the judge listened to every argument. Her ruling that was issued March 28 agreed that the decision by the commissioners to remove the board members was warranted.
Petty said examples of the reasons for the removal was the board’s failure to meet the required standard in the sales ratio study for 2022 and 2023, and the tax digest for 2023 was not filed in a timely manner.
Following her ruling, the Board of Commissioners voted for the final time at their April 1 meeting to remove Tim Andrews and Scherryl Morgan from the Board of Tax Assessors.
Members of the Board of Tax Assessors are appointed by the Board of Commissioners. It is mandated by law that it is the Board of Tax Assessors who are tasked with the oversight of employees and all things in the day-to-day operation of the tax assessors department.
The appointment and removal of those board members is the only control the commissioners have over the department.
Commissioner Sam Kitchens was the most vocal in the process of the removal of the former board members and ultimately the termination of former chief appraiser Anthony George with the goal of getting the county back on track. His comments following the April 1 vote began that the whole situation had been unfortunate and uncomfortable for everyone.
“This wasn’t one action of any one person … it was multiple issues that resulted in us being out of compliance with state requirements,” Kitchens said. “The Superior Court’s final recommendation allows us the opportunity to get it right this time. Providing fair and equitable tax assessments countywide is not just a goal, it’s a requirement.”
The issue of the inequity of Jones County property values first came to the attention of the commissioners in 2023 when the county failed the 2022 Sales Ratio Audit by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts.
Commissioners were assured by George that all was in hand, blaming the state’s audit process for the failing score. An appeal of the failure was not successful, and in 2024 commissioners were informed the county had failed the 2023 Sales Ratio Audit. In fact, the county’s sales ratio score was even lower.
A subsequent appeal of the failing score and arbitration brought the score up a few percentage points, but the ultimate result was another failed audit.
Two employees of the tax assessor’s office became whistle blowers in a Sept. 3 work session, pointing out problems in the department that were causing the inequities of property values, including George’s misuse of overrides for properties.
The Board of Assessors appeared to blindly follow whatever George dictated both during the meetings and the day-to-day running of the department. That included the arrest of one of the employees for battery against another employee, who happened to be one of the whistleblowers.
The arrested employee was allowed by George to come back to work the Monday after her Friday arrest with no repercussions.
The Board of Assessors had a meeting Sept. 5 that lasted more than four hours and included an illegal closed session, during which employees were brought in to be questioned, essentially taking evidence. During a Nov. 12 called meeting, the Board of Assessors suspended one of the whistleblowers with pay. At their Dec. 5 meeting, the employee was reinstated, but letters of reprimand were voted to be put in the files of both whistleblowers.
By the end of 2024 there were only three members of the Board of Assessors, due to resignations of board members. The term was up for one of those members Dec. 31, leaving only two remaining members.
Commissioners held interviews for three new board members Jan. 14. Andrea Riley, Joe Rutledge and Leigh Ross Stanford were appointed to the board at the conclusion of the called meeting. Stanford was selected as chairman by board members at their Feb. 6 meeting, and George was terminated at a Feb. 20 called meeting.
James Davis was selected by the JCBTA members March 10 called meeting to act as chief appraiser and consultant to the board of assessors. Davis is an Appraiser 4 and has served as chief appraiser in Bibb, Upson, Colquitt and Monroe counties. He currently serves as an instructor for the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia.
Davis told commissioners at their April 1 meeting that an RFP has been posted for the county’s revaluation, and he is also talking to companies for aerial photographs of county properties.
Following the removal of the two remaining JCBTA members from the previous board, commissioners agreed to hold interviews to fill the two vacancies.
The JCBTA meets at 5 p.m. the first Thursday of each month in the Charlotte Wilson Conference Room at the Government Center. The meetings are open to the public and are also available to view on the county’s website, jonescountyga.org. The next scheduled meeting is May 1.
