Chattooga County Sole Commissioner Andy Allen is raising questions about the terms of a proposed new three-year contract with Georgia Mass Appraisal Solutions and Services, or GMASS, the private company that provides property appraisal services for the county. Allen says he is holding off on renewing the contract until several provisions can be addressed, particularly as the number of property tax appeals in Chattooga County continues to increase. According to information presented by Allen, Chattooga County currently pays GMASS $158,328 annually for its appraisal work. The company provides trained and certified appraisers who assist the county Board of Assessors and visit every property at least once during a three-year period. Allen said the county previously had enough employees to conduct appraisal work in-house, but maintaining a qualified staff has become increasingly difficult. “We need a company that can come in and do a third of all these properties every year,” Allen said. One of Allen’s primary concerns involves property tax appeals. Under the contract, GMASS charges the county an additional fee for each taxpayer appeal. Allen questioned whether the company should receive additional compensation when taxpayers challenge property values established through the appraisal process. He said a company responsible for establishing property values should have an incentive to make sure those values are accurate from the beginning. “It’s almost a benefit for them to see…
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