The Jones County Board of Tax Assessors turned the page to fiscal year 2026 at their October meeting, after confirming that all the 2025 appeals have been worked.
The smooth routine of the meeting is notable following the turmoil of the past two years, which put Jones County in jeopardy of being penalized due to its failure of property value audits by the Georgia Department of Revenue.
The Oct. 2 meeting was called to order by Vice Chairman Andrea Riley in the absence of Chairman Leigh Stanford. Board member Joe Rutledge led the opening prayer and pledge.
Riley moved quickly through the agenda to the approval of 64 E&R and NOD items and 21 motor vehicle appeals presented by Board Secretary Bill Goodman. All the items were approved unanimously by board members.
Goodman presented 29 appeals that had no changes and said they will be forwarded to the Board of Equalization. The secretary said the BOE anticipates hearing all of those appeals by the end of November and that should wipe out all the appeals.
He said there are 153 30 – day notices issued that will be resolved within 30 days unless taxpayers opt to go to the BOE. Ten BOE finals with adjustments made, taxpayers have 30 days to appeal to Superior Court. He said 93 are being scheduled to be heard by the BOE.
Goodman said 311 appeals are resolved, totally done, with four withdrawn.
Riley said all appeals have been worked.
“I commend everyone in the office for working so hard along with Technical Appraisals,” she said.
Goodman said he spoke with a representative of the company who told him the 60 percent of the field work for the countywide revaluations has been done.
He said that work still has to be entered but to get all that done in this short of time is good.
“They have done all the field work for us and are giving us recommendations. It’s been a pleasure to work with them,” he said.
Riley said since all the appeals have been worked, Technical Appraisals asked that the county roll the digest over to the 2026. That allows the department to move on to next year’s work. She said this is a normal course of action.
Board member Justin Kelly made that motion and it was approved unanimously. At the conclusion of the business on the agenda, the meeting was adjourned.
The Oct. 2 meeting and all previous meetings are available to view in their entirety on the county’s website, jonescountyga. org.
The next meeting of the BOA is scheduled Nov. 6.
