Inside A Board Of Tax Assessors Meeting
By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor
One of the many local boards that meets regularly is the Dade County Board of Tax Assessors. The Sentinel does not typically attend these meetings, but with it being millage rate season and to learn more about how this board operates, the Sentinel attended the August 8 meeting.
The board meets the second Thursday of each month at 5 p.m. at the tax assessor office, and as the county government’s website reads, the Board of Assessors “is responsible for determining taxability: the appraisal, assessment, and the equalization of all assessments within the county.”
The current board members are James Eckhardt, Richard Stephens, Bobby Allen Walters, Sarah Moore, and Donny Williams. Stephens was unable to attend the August 8 meeting, but two staff members (Cindy Cross and Chris Howell) were present.
The agenda included all of the usual items, like a budget report, and the board quickly ran through these items.
Under new business, the board reviewed and approved 30-day notices (to be sent in response to property tax appeals) of which there were 116. Once an appeal is submitted, the board sends this notice listing changes (if any), and the property owner has 30 days to respond. If there is no response, the changes automatically go into effect.
The board also reviewed and approved appeals to be forwarded to the Board of Equalization, of which there were 75.
The third item under new business was covenants. The board approved some covenants but denied several that were submitted past the deadline and another that does not qualify because it will have a quarry.
Lastly under new business, the board reviewed and approved five veteran homestead exemptions. Most cases must be submitted by an annual deadline, but veterans can apply year round.
After the meeting, Eckhardt explained that this was a standard Board of Tax Assessors meeting. He said that sometimes residents will attend to explain their appeal, but other than that, these meetings tend to be short and to the point.
