The Jones County Board of Tax Assessors voted to extend the contract with the appraisal services company performing the countywide revaluations at its February meeting.
Prior to the Feb. 5 meeting, Jones County Superior Court Clerk Pam Dixon swore in the two board members whose terms expired Dec. 31. Andrea Riley and Justin Kelly took their oaths for their next six-year terms.
Board Chairman Dr. Leigh Sanford called the meeting to order, and board member Joe Rutledge led the opening prayer and pledge.
All board members were present with the exception of Tina Presly.
The first item of business was the approval of the 2026 monthly meeting calendar. The meetings are scheduled the first Thursday of each month. Rutledge made the motion, and it was approved unanimously.
The contract extension was the next agenda item. Stanford presented the proposal to extend the contract with Technical Appraisal Services from a countywide revaluation to a maintenance contract. The chairman said the company is used by many counties. Their help is especially needed due to the lack of qualified appraisers.
Stanford said the company has greatly assisted the county. The ongoing maintenance would include the annual required one-third countywide reassessment. The current contract with the company expires June 30.
Interim Chief Appraiser Jim Davis recommended continuing the contract and spoke about the high quality of work being done by Technical Appraisal Services.
Riley made the motion to extend the contract, and the vote to approve the motion was unanimous.
Board Secretary Bill Goodman presented the next four agenda items. Those items included approval of 77 Homestead Exemption applications and four military homestead exemptions, 56 E&R/ NOD, and 28 motor vehicle appeals.
Stanford noted that the documents had been sent to board members for their review prior to the meeting. All those applications and exemptions were approved.
Goodman presented 43 CUVA applications. He suggested the approval of 38 of those and tabling five until the March meeting for more information.
Board members unanimously approved the recommended applications and tabled the remaining five.
The secretary presented project updates. He said the appeal period is open for mobile homes, but no appeals have been received. The deadline for mobile home appeals is March 16.
Goodman said the period opened for CUVA and FLPA applications Jan. 5, and 43 applications have been received. He said 38 applications will be entered and approval letters mailed. The remaining five applications will be placed on the agenda pending more information.
Goodman said more applications are received daily. The deadline for the applications is April 1. He said one FFA return had been received and updated in the system. The deadline for the returns is April 1.
All the boat returns have been mailed and are processed upon receipt. Deadline for those returns in April 1.
Goodman said business personal property returns have been mailed. He said 494 accounts were reviews from state tax records and 172 are already on file. Sixty-two new accounts were added, 168 are pending and 92 require further research. The deadline for those returns is April 1.
Stanford asked if the deadlines were posted on the website. Goodman said most of the deadlines are April 1 but the website would be updated.
Goodman also announced that of the 488 appeals received, 487 had been processed. He said E&Rs had been completed for 38 of the 2025 public utilities Feb.
2. Two of those accounts are under state review and will be billed at 85 percent until the appeals are settled.
Work has begun on the 2027 digest and will continue to ensure timely completion. Goodman said that work overlaps with the ongoing 2026 efforts.
He reported that the revaluation project being performed by Technical Appraisal Services is on track.
“They are making excellent progress,” Goodman said.
Sanford said she appreciates the hard work being done.
Davis said the workload and hours being put in by staff shows the maintenance contract with Technical Appraisal Services is needed.
The meeting was adjourned to enter closed session at 5:25 p.m. and was reopened at 6:48 p.m. and adjourned with no action taken.
