Blog Posts

« Back to blog post list

Secretive Property Tax Appeals Board May Be Revamped

dcogcadmin | November 23, 2009

The D.C. Council appears poised to consider doing away with the current property tax appeals board and replacing it with a commission staffed by expert appraisers.  The Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals evaluates property owners’ appeals of their tax assessments, often resulting in lowered assessments and less revenue for the city; it has been plagued by charges of secrecy and the appearance of conflicts of interest (see this opinion piece by William Lightfoot and Marie Drissel that appeared in the Washington Post in December 2007).  Legislation would require that members of the newly constituted commission would be appraisers certified by one of two professional organizations — observers are concerned that there may not be a large enough pool to draw from.  Washington Examiner

The D.C. Council appears poised to consider doing away with the current property tax appeals board and replacing it with a commission staffed by expert appraisers.  The Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals evaluates property owners’ appeals of their tax assessments, often resulting in lowered assessments and less revenue for the city; it has been plagued by charges of secrecy and the appearance of conflicts of interest (see this opinion piece by William Lightfoot and Marie Drissel that appeared in the Washington Post in December 2007).  Legislation would require that members of the newly constituted commission would be appraisers certified by one of two professional organizations — observers are concerned that there may not be a large enough pool to draw from.  Washington Examiner